


Vixen

by AlexandriaBiast



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Abigail Hobbs Lives, Acting, Adopted Abigail Hobbs, Bisexual Female Character, Blood Kink, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Dark Will Graham, Established Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, F/M, Happy Murder Family, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Manipulation, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Multi, Murder Family, Murder Husbands, Murder Kink, Original Character(s), POV Original Female Character, Possessive Hannibal Lecter, Possessive Will Graham, Serial Killers, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Strong Female Characters, Threesome, Threesome - F/M/M, Will Graham Knows, Will Graham Loves Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham is a Cannibal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:08:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 123,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26661961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexandriaBiast/pseuds/AlexandriaBiast
Summary: She never expected to find another like herself, with a beast barely contained at time. With one ex boyfriend dead and another being the newest serial killer that was basing his kills on her new books, Saskia never expected an Empath and Cannibal to figure her out so easily. M/F/M
Relationships: Hannibal Lecter/Original Female Character(s), Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter/Original Character(s), Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter/Original Female Character(s), Will Graham/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 156





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

She forgot about him.

Samson Tyler's mangled corpse was nailed into the back wall of the living room, pale and unmoving as a slit in his throat showed that he was drained of blood. He had every injury placed upon him by his killer that he had placed upon Saskia: His left cheek was slashed, jaw dislocated, right shoulder dislocated, left forearm broken, right leg fractured, and finally, his left ankle sprained.

Saskia sighed greatly. This just added to the day's frustrations. She dropped her bag and walked straight out of the small house and onto the porch before taking a moment to calm her racing heart.

She no longer had to worry about him at least, with him being strung and sitting on the mantle of the fireplace. Saskia wanted to smile, knowing that he had felt the same pain, the same wrenching agony that she felt when he did those injuries to her.

Sadly he would never truly feel the betrayal that she did when he first hurt her.

He was dead at the very least, after a painful death that looked like torture.

"911, what's your emergency?" The voice said from the phone after it rang for a moment.

"There's a dead body in my living room," Saskia sighed, rubbing a hand over her hairline.

"Are you sure they're dead?" This made her roll her eyes.

"Yes, please send over whoever needs to be,"

"Alright, ma'am, what's the address?"

She rattled the address out before hanging up without a word. Now it was just a waiting game until the police arrived.

At least today wouldn't be boring, how she hated boring.

Two Months Earlier.

"How is the rabbit food?" Samson mocked her Caesar salad as he destroyed his well-cooked steak with his knife and fork. He couldn't even hold them the right way round and his manners were appalling at times like these, he never cared for the moments where she criticised them.

This was one of the very few times that he suggested they go to a restaurant, he never liked them too much. He loved to see Saskia in her fancy dresses but he was annoyed that he wasn't allowed to yell at her if she displeased him here. Saskia loved restaurants of all kinds, though she had to be careful with the menus if they were foreign.

After finishing her mouthful, she said, "Adequate."

He didn't want more than a few words from her when he ate. Saskia learnt this when they had dated for a few months and they had many meals, he snapped at her for making the calm atmosphere go stiff if Saskia spoke more than ten words at any given time.

"We've been dating for two years and I still have no idea why you don't eat meat,"

"I detest the cruelty,"

"What?"

"I don't like killing animals," Saskia always failed to remember that his vocabulary wasn't up to par with her own, forcing her to make her words simpler for his brain to comprehend. She smiled softly before saying, "I prefer my animals alive and well."

He scoffed, his fork scraping against the plate as he pushed the prongs through the steak before almost dropping it while bringing it to his mouth. "Animals can't feel emotions like we can, Saskia. I've told you this before."

"Yes, Samson, and I've told you that I don't believe you," Saskia said, carefully calculating the danger she was by saying it. His cheek muscle twitched in anger before a smile came over his lips, forcing himself to remain happy and calm.

Even with the pleasant atmosphere of the restaurant, she could feel her instincts telling her to be careful, lest she feel his wrath once again. Her anger multiplied. Her annoyance tenfold when he opened his mouth without finishing the mouthful.

Disgusting.

"I know," Samson said, his hand was over hers and he gave it a harsh but subtle tug. "Dessert?"

He ordered a fancy cream dish that had a name she couldn't pronounce, but he had butchered it completely by the waiter's face. Saskia stifled her amusement before Samson could see it. She ordered a pleasant raspberry cheesecake that was much too small for her liking, she finished much too soon and was forced to resort to drinking her water.

Samson waved the waiter over again, smiling brightly in thanks as he quickly grabbed the pre-ordered champagne glasses. He shooed the waiter off rather rudely before giving her a single glass.

Saskia allowed her eyes to flicker to the ring at the bottom of the glass. It was gold with a yellow stone embedded in the band.

She didn't like gold.

They toasted and she was forced to drink the full glass before she could get to the ring. She held it between her thumb and pointer finger, looking at the shining band as the lighting made it twinkle menacingly.

Samson snatched it from her hand before he smiled even brighter, coming off his seat before settling down on one knee. The restaurant grew silent and he clutched the ring with both hands as he brought them up to the table's level.

"Saskia Alasite," He began, butchering the proper pronunciation of her name, "You've been in my life for two years, we've known each other intimately like we are soul mates. I can see myself living, growing old with you, Saskia, and I want you to have our children in the future. Will you marry me, Saskia Alasite?"

She scoffed as she sucked her teeth and finished the water glass. "You've got to be kidding me, Samson?"

"Say yes and we will be together forever,"

"If you truly knew me," Saskia said, clasping her hands together because she was so tempted to slap the smile off his face, "You would fully know that I do not like champagne, that I do not want children, that I do not like gold jewellery, or yellow gems or stone, that I do not want to be married before I decide I'm ready.

"And I'm not fucking ready, not with you, you abusive bastard!" She finally said as she stood up abruptly, grabbing her clutch from the chair. "I only come back because I know you want me. Do you think I am so easily manipulated? Co-dependent on you? Please! You want the money I was left by my grandmother, you want my looks. I don't want you, Samson Tyler. Fuck off and leave me to my life because if I see hide or hair of you near me, I will file a restraining order against you."

She knew Samson for two years, dating him for one and a half, lived with him for a single year, and she was ready to move on from his abuse. Saskia knew every abusive tactic he was using on her, always making them backfire and yet he believed that she was under his control and co-dependent on him. He just wanted the money her grandmother left Saskia upon her death.

Saskia didn't like being controlled, he soon found that out and made the arguments worse.

She threatened to leave for many months, always coming back because she knew she was wanted by him, and Saskia liked to be wanted. He tried to guilt-trip her into staying, and every time she stayed because she knew Samson would treat her like a queen for a time before going back to his old habits.

But Marriage?

Marriage was the last straw that Saskia was not prepared to pull.

Saskia made her way several states over until she hit Baltimore, and she decided to make that place her new home for now.

Present Time.

The snow had stopped a few hours ago but it was still freezing cold. Saskia was grateful for her vintage black swing coat, it was loose enough that she could wrap the blanket scarf across her torso before tying the coat closed.

Each time Saskia or anyone spoke, their breaths turned to mist as the warmth met the winter air. She pocketed her hands and kept them warm because she would rather not wear her gloves. Her nails were too long for normal gloves.

"I've been out since five this morning," Saskia said as the male officer wrote that down. She watched designated people coming in and out of her small house, thinking of how much mess and sludge she would need to clean after they brought it all in. "I walked into the house at eleven twenty-three."

"Exactly?" His eyes were wary when she said that, like she couldn't possibly know the exact moment she did something.

"On the dot," Saskia pulled the hem of her left sleeve back, checking her watch and sighed. Barely past noon and she was already tired.

At her grim expression as someone forgot to wipe their feet before going in the house, his shoulders slumped slightly before saying, "What did you do when you got in?"

"Since the front door opens to the living room, I saw him straight away,"

"Him who?"

"The corpse, you idiot!" She snapped in annoyance, the cold air was making her patience thin. This officer was incompetent at getting a decent statement, he couldn't even ask the right questions. "Saw him, dropped my bags and walked straight out to the porch again and then I called it in."

"What do you work as?" He paused as another man came onto the scene, walking quickly in before coming back out. The officer tensed before taking his gaze back to Saskia who didn't even look at him.

"Writer,"

"Figures," He muttered, almost like he was disappointed in that information.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" She turned to him, her eyes flashing with warning. She loosely crossed her arms and tapped a long black nail against her coat sleeve. Being an Author was a perfectly good career choice, paid well enough. Just because it was hard to actually make a name for yourself as a writer, did not mean it didn't have its perks.

The other man watched her snap at him, quickly waving a hand at the officer. "Micheals, stop antagonising her!"

"I'm just getting her statement," The officer, Micheals, slumped his shoulders in submission as the other man, even though he was much shorter, had a higher position of authority about him.

"Just go," The man said, watching Micheals leave with a huff before introducing himself, "Special Agent Jack Crawford."

"Saskia Alasite," She said, pronouncing it like it was an English word, before gesturing back to the house with a mocking laugh. "You've met my ex."

"Does anyone else have access to your home?"

Saskia shook her head, her loose hair flicked to lay on her shoulders. "No. Made sure all the locks were replaced before I moved in."

"And him?"

"Samson Tyler,"

"Right," He said. "We'll need to get your contact information. This isn't the first murder in the last few weeks. Are you able to find somewhere to stay during the investigation?"

"I'll get a hotel, when do you need my information?" She had already taken out her thin maroon wallet, quickly finding her matte black and purple business card.

"Now, if you don't mind," Crawford smiled as if it would make her reassured about the whole situation. "How are you feeling?"

She paused as she handed him the business card. "Me? Oh, I'm fine. Kind of relieved, kind of annoyed."

"Relieved? Why?"

"He was abusive, emotionally and physically, or he tried to be," Saskia said. "Can I go in and have a look at him? I might be able to give some insight on him, personal history with him and all."

"Sure," He said before turning to another officer. "Is Graham in there yet?"

"He's doing his…You know…" The officer said before waving a hand strangely.

"Alright. Miss Alasite, come this way," Crawford made the officers around the entrance move away as he held the yellow tape up for her to pass under it.

Since the house was small, the front door opened to the living room with the kitchen blocked off with a half wall. The stairs were to the left wall. Samson Tyler hung by his hands and shoulders which were nailed into the wall with thick, industrial nails. His legs were limp over the front of the fireplace, almost like the way the killer placed him made him look like a well-placed ornament.

She was happy to see that there wasn't any blood on her furniture, it would take a small fortune to replace most of the handmade wooden pieces and custom fabrics. Saskia was very particular about where her furniture came from, and all the sources were never cheap.

There were several people milling around his corpse, taking photos and references before even thinking of touching him. One man stood to the side, staring at the corpse as he clenched and unclenched his hands in thought.

"Will, this is Saskia Alasite, this is her house," Crawford said. "This is Agent Will Graham, criminal profiler for the FBI."

He remained silent before he dragged his eyes from the corpse to her eyes for a second, then they flickered to the ground where a water bowl sat by a wall. He had a sort of lost but deranged look in his eyes, the type that could sway this way or that. Saskia remembered when she had first seen that look on someone that wasn't herself, very strange to see the slight insanity that was held together tightly by one's own will.

"Do you, do you have a dog? Most likely large by the size of the bowl," Will Graham said, turning his head to the front door. "Where are they?"

"We had people check upstairs, we didn't find any dogs," Jack Crawford mentioned, stepping forward a foot. "A room was locked but you mentioned that it should be locked, we left it alone."

"Countess, come down, sweetheart," Saskia voiced, gaining strange looks from the people around her. There was a large thud upstairs and she smiled, knowing she had just jumped from her hiding spot. "She likes to hide."

There was another large thud as Countess leapt from the top of the stairs before trotting to sit by her feet. She was pitch black with unnatural silver eyes, save for her white paws and the tip of her fluffy tail, her head reached Saskia's lower hip as the canine sat. She panted as everyone looked at her like she was a big surprise, which she was, Saskia would give them that.

"May I?" Will Graham asked, gesturing to her.

"Yes. Countess, no biting," Saskia warned her as she looked at Samson's corpse once again. "Each of those injuries, jaw, shoulder, leg, every single one, had been done to me. But these have been exaggerated…"

Each injury was much deeper and done harsher than Samson would ever be able to. The broken bones were forced out of the place and broke the skin. The slash on his cheek was so deep that it showed the inside of his mouth at times.

"Who did them to you?" Graham said, his eyes flickering to Saskia's left cheek where the slash had completely healed and left a barely-there scar. It made her slightly self continuous but she ignored it.

"Oh, Samson did," Saskia didn't flinch when Countess growled softly, shifting her paws. She gave her ears a rub as Countess stopped and poked her muzzle into Saskia's palm.

"Countess doesn't like him," Graham said and got up to look at the corpse again.

"Last time Samson was here, he was trying to force me to go back with him and he kicked her. Countess nor I will be content with abuse," Saskia mumbled before raising her voice so the people would hear her. "You'll find dog bites on his left hand if you look carefully."

"Yeah, single set of dog bites," One of the people called out after checking for them.

"You're taking the death of an Ex well. Are you not still attached to him?"

Saskia scoffed. "God no. That bastard was abusive and he had this coming. And no, before you ask, I did not kill him. I would have done worse, for one, and I wouldn't have left it in my own living room, Crawford. The force that would have taken me to break his limbs would be almost impossible for me to do."

"How long has he been dead?"

"At least a few hours, between seven and eight I say. He's been drained of blood completely," One of the investigators said, pulling slightly at the slash.

"Alright," Saskia mumbled. "Can I get a bag from upstairs if I'm not allowed to stay here?"

"Yeah, sure," Crawford said. "Will, stay down here and make sure that the dog doesn't contaminate the scene."

Countess made a sound of disapproval that made her smile. Crawford followed her upstairs. Saskia untucked the key from her pocket and unlocked the door while Crawford made a face of interest.

"What?" Saskia said. When her hand felt the warmth on the handle, she stilled.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone's been in my bedroom," Saskia said before abruptly opening the door. As a gunshot rang in the room, her instincts told her to move and so she stepped back. Crawford had his gun out as soon as he was able to. He aimed into the room before going in.

"Hands up!"

"Saskia, Saskia, Saskia…"

She dreaded hearing that voice again. Saskia had thought she left him in England two and a half years ago when she moved to the states. She wasn't that lucky but she preferred him over Samson.

"That better not be you, Liam," She said with her back against the wall.

"Why don't you come in and see for yourself?"

"Stay put, Alasite,"

"He will shoot you dead before you could pull that trigger," Saskia said as she stood in the doorway. "Ex sniper. What are you doing here? I've told you not to come like four times."

Liam tutted.

"Since when did I ever listen?" Liam's smile was crooked, wrong, it made her hair stand on their ends. He held his hands up with his own gun pointed to his head. "Whatever shall I do? You? You? You? Or you?"

With each word, he twisted the gun to point at random things. He made Crawford go tense because he didn't know when Liam would shoot.

"You don't have to thank me, Saskia. Samson is no longer a problem,"

His smile twitched and Saskia could count the second before he pressed the trigger. It had been pointed at her but she knew from where he stood, he angled it so it would hit several inches above her head.

Her face was blank as Crawford shot him in the chest twice, somehow one hit the vein on his neck, making the blood splatter forward. She flinched as the blooded landed onto her torso but the black coat hid most of it. He slumped to the floor before completely dropping the gun. Crawford pulled the pistol away before he tried to stop the bleeding on his neck.

"What a shitty day," Saskia grumbled as she stormed down the stairs before going for the liquor cabinet. She poured herself a whiskey while she waited for Liam to die, the wound to his chest would make his lungs fill with blood and the neck wound would kill him within the next few minutes.

Crawford came down after calling the medics upstairs. "He's been announced dead. Are you alright?"

Saskia shrugged. She finished the glass before pouring another, nursing this one. "He wouldn't have hit me, his aim is remarkable. It's his own fault he's dead."

"You should have listened,"

"You don't—didn't know Liam. I've known him since I was nine, we went to the same school in England," She held the glass against her cheek to feel the cold liquid. "He wouldn't have hit me, I can assure you of that. Our game would have been over too soon."

"Jack," A calm, accented voice said. It made her pause as a well-dressed man came past the officers without a worry. "I heard gunshots and saw the medics come in. Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, another body upstairs. He threatened to shoot and then aimed at Alasite, he had to be brought down," Crawford rubbed his hands clean with a towel one of the medics gave him. "Doctor Lecter, this is Saskia Alasite, this is her house. Miss Alasite, this is Doctor Hannibal Lecter, a Psychiatrist and criminal profiler."

Doctor Lecter gave her a once over before his eyebrow twitched and he said, "Jack, are you sure she should be in here?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Dandy really, annoyed that my bedroom is covered in blood but that can't be helped." She waved his assumption of her being affected negatively. "Samson Tyler, thirty-two, lived in Dallas, Texas until now I guess. The one upstairs is Liam Osborn, twenty-nine, lived in England. I didn't realise he followed me across the pond."

"You're English?"

"Just raised there," She finished the glass. "When will this mess be gone? Or will you still need to do an investigation about this kill because it might be linked to the other ones?"

"I suggest you get a room at a hotel for the night, at least," Crawford moved his cheek in a way that indicated annoyance. "Now, we need to get your official statement and everything at the Bureau."

"Like now?" She whined.

"Is there a problem?"

Saskia checked her watch, "I haven't slept in twenty-two hours and twelve minutes, and I'm craving a coffee."

"Twenty-two?"

"I can go two days without sleep, easily. Can I make a coffee before I go?"

"Sure, the kitchen has been done and we found nothing. Hannibal, can you take her while I speak to Will?"

"Of course," Doctor Lecter said as she turned around to walk into the adjoining kitchen. The coffee machine began to clean itself as soon as Saskiapressed the button. "Is that dress McQueen, Miss Alasite?"

"Yes, and your suit is Westwood if I'm correct," She pressed the button for a single cup and listened as the machine began to grind the coffee beans. She realised that someone was about to touch the cabinet that held her books when she heard the familiar creak. "If you so much as touch those, I will force you out of my house. Back up!"

The Asian woman froze and backed away with a glance to Crawford. "Why?"

"That little box—" Saskia gestured to the reinforced silver box as she picked it up. "—Is not to be touched. It has the final copies of my books in it."

"You're an author?"

"Yes, this has the second, and third and final instalments of my series," She unlocked it and checked if the two volumes were there. Saskia sighed with relief, both of them were there and they were still in their sealed containers. "You can do the rest of the bookcase but this is coming with me."

"What book series?"

"Murder With Miscreants," She said proudly.

"Oh, you're Syn!" Beverly Katz gasped as she gestured to the group near her. "We've all read it. We've debated if you were an actual killer since everything about the murders and investigations were soo accurate. I hope we were wrong." She grinned.

"No, not a killer," Saskia smiled with good humour, relocking the box before pulling it under her arm. "Just good with research. I'll make my coffee before going on the porch, Mr Crawford. I'll stay out of the way but I'm not leaving you all here."

The coffee was still hot as Saskia pulled the cup away from the machine, not realising the liquid was several shades redder than normal. She would need to get a better filter for the machine. Saskia poured the full-fat milk and sugar in before turning the machine off and watching it clean itself.

She sipped the coffee, expecting the sugar and bitter flavour to coat her tongue but it was much more metallic. Saskia tried it again, still too metallic. The cup was back on the counter as she pulled the water holder from the back of the coffee machine to check it. Perhaps the water had been contaminated by something?

"Well," Saskia announced, clicking her tongue. She turned, holding the water holder which held a litre or two of bright red blood away from her white dress and black coat. "Found his blood!"

She didn't know why she smiled but it was probably in shock. Saskia had expected to see the normal water, not a bloody mess but she quickly recovered with a somewhat amused smile.

One of the crime scene investigators, a man ran up to her and grabbed the almost dripping container of blood. Saskia wiped her mouth with the back of her dry hand, still tasting the familiar flavour of blood on her tongue.

"I fucking hate you, Liam," She muttered, handing her ruined coffee off to one of them. Saskia leaned against the counter for a moment before her knuckles could pop out of place with how firm her grip was. "You ruined my bedroom and now ruined my coffee, you're lucky you're dead already."

Saskia sashayed straight out of the house and sat down on the cold bench beneath one of the windows. Countess laid by her feet, relishing in the winter air which ruffled her fur nicely. Saskia's vision unfocused as she tapped a tune with her fingers against the icy metal arm, trying to comprehend everything and get her mind back into working order.

Her bedroom was splattered with Liam's blood, his corpse freshly removed. Her living room was polluted with Samson's body. Her coffee machine tainted with his blood. What was next? They both were lucky that they hadn't ruined the volumes or she would drag them both back from Hell to kill them again.

Saskia Alasite would find a way to kill them twice.

Doctor Lecter's voice made her eyes refocus as she turned to the man with a blank face. His own held a warm smile as he lifted a damp towel and a glass of water to hand them to her.

"I heard that you were sprayed with blood," He said, "And I don't think many people would like to drink a bloody coffee."

"Thank you," Saskia took both, wiping her neck clean of the small specks of blood before wiping her lips as she forced herself to grimace. "I'd prefer the bloody coffee to their bodies in my house. Especially the bastard's."

"And which one would be that?" He said before gesturing to the bench. "May I?"

She nodded faintly. "Samson Tyler."

"Ah, he was the one strung up, correct?" Doctor Lecter stiffly sat down next to her, watching her eyes as she looked out into the streets.

"Yes," Saskia tapped the brass arm of the bench in thought.

"Do you have any idea why?"

"Liam, the one that died upstairs just before you came in, I knew him since I was young. He advised me not to date Samson but I didn't listen," She wished she had. "Perhaps he was jealous, perhaps he was looking out for me and my wellbeing, perhaps his own. Liam was always angry at me for not leaving Samson when I got injured."

"You were injured?"

"I think Graham could see the scar on my cheek," She mumbled, gently touching the almost nonexistent mark on her left cheekbone. "His gaze kept coming back to me when he looked at the corpse, almost trying to see if Samson's injuries matched mine since I said that was what the killer did. Liam was always a little violent."

"How do you know Liam killed Samson?"

Saskia gave him a look, turning her head to stare at him through her lashes before staring back at Countess. "Crawford gave me permission to go and get some clothes, he followed me up. I was about to open the door but I could tell that someone was in there."

"How?"

"The handle was warm,"

"Yes, I saw that you had handles instead of knobs. Why is that?"

"Practicality. It's what I'm used to, I usually have my hands full and a knob is hard to turn if my hands aren't free," Saskia straightened her back. "Say, are you trying to see if I have the capability of killing Samson Tyler?"

"Should I be?" He tried to humour her.

"You are a psychiatrist and employed by the FBI. I would have done it if he threatened me again, self-defence only of course," Saskia then smiled lightly, allowing it to grace her face. "I don't look good in orange."

They turned silent as Saskia began to drink the glass of water, washing the bitter but sugary blood from her mouth. The snow began to fall again as she was able to finally wrap her head around everything.

"My life is a fucking mess," Saskia whispered with a grumble.

"I wouldn't say that,"

"First, my ex-boyfriend is hung up like a trophy above my fireplace, my childhood friend breaks into my locked bedroom and gets killed because he shot at me, and then someone put fucking blood into my coffee machine which I will be forced to bin because it probably ruined the inner-workings," Her voice was laced with disdain as she finished the water. "My whole house is a crime scene and I haven't slept in more than twenty-two and a half hours."

"Just a bad day," He said. "A very bad day."

"Hannibal." Graham's voice was blank.

The man turned to him and Graham shook his head. Lecter stood up and dusted himself off before giving Saskia a smile and walking back inside with a small, "Excuse me."

Saskia nodded her acknowledgement and pulled her phone out. She would need to find a pet-friendly hotel nearby, and then she would need to get her laptop charger and some of Countess' treats and toys. The mutt, mixed of several large dog breeds which had fluffy fur, would be extremely unpleasant if she wasn't entertained properly.

She had to choose a new dress to wear for the art gallery tonight, the one she had chosen had been placed on the bed. Saskia doubted she would be able to get the blood out of the soft blue fabric, and there wasn't time to have another copy of the dress shipped over.

It didn't matter to her, Saskia Alasite knew she would look amazing in anything she wore. She was vain enough to admit it.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"You are not having the whole bed!" Saskia said, chucking one of her smaller bags at Countess who decided to bury herself under the covers of the hotel bed. "I need to sleep before the event and you are not hogging the bed this time."

Countess pouted but even she knew she couldn't go against Saskia. This woman was much better a Mistress than her previous Masters were, she was treated correctly and was able to gain respect as long as she gave it. Even if she tried to push Saskia, Countess wouldn't go against the woman who saved her from the shelter that threatened to euthanise her.

The beautiful mutt knew that Saskia's word was final.

One day, Saskia came into the shelter and had a good wander about the whole place, checking each kennel, or really prison or cage would have been more accurate, before doing it once again. The person, a scrawny man in his late forties who wouldn't know the difference between his hair and a greasy bit of spaghetti, followed her around and told her about each animal.

He tried to diverge her path away from the side of the shelter that dealt with the more dangerous or damaged dogs and cats that needed to be put down.

Countess had been the one dog that didn't hide away in her kennel or outright bark obnoxiously as they passed. She almost glared like a human, her eyes holding a certain light. She had sat there, in the middle of her pristine kennel that she was proud of, and outright glared at Saskia when the woman bent down to her level. When Saskia bared a smile which turned into a silent snarling battle of baring one's teeth, she pointed and said,

"That's the one; her."

For several hours after her rescue, Countess always feared that she would be tossed out after she was past her use. Usually fighting in a ring, she quickly learnt that many humans were cruel and would not change. She had been sent to a shelter after she bit her old master in retaliation, fully knowing he deserved it because he had hurt one of her pack.

Now, Saskia Alasite was Pack. Leader. Mistress. Countess trusted her judgement enough to loyally follow her, she was shown no indication of cruelty to other animals from the woman. Humans were a different case entirely for her.

When Saskia finally allowed Countess to sleep in the same bed as her, simply hours after meeting, Countess knew she was alright.

Safe.

Home.

Not alone.

Not anymore.

Countess poked her head out from beneath the sheets, a doggy pout on her lips as it trembled. Saskia stripped down to her underwear, finally taking off her bra before she shoved Countess so there would be enough room. She leaned on her left side after placing her phone on charge and setting an alarm for five. Countess quickly snuggled into her curled side, her nose warm and wet against Saskia's collarbone.

Saskia didn't sleep often, only ever needing a few hours here or there. When she fell asleep, she could be roused by something as small as an erratic heartbeat or the unusual exhale. Saskia could easily ignore these but her instincts told her not to. With Countess, however, Saskia could lower her guard and get a decent amount of sleep.

She didn't need to worry, she knew she was protected.

The mutt groaned, it trailed in her chest before coming up as a deep huff against Saskia's ribs. A sharp kick to her hip made Saskia also groan silently, getting up to turn the alarm off before checking her social media. With nothing of interest besides fans and book readers asking when the newest Murder With Miscreants would come out.

"Do you want sausage or bacon?" Saskia said, reaching for the hotel phone to get room service. "Because you are getting fat and I am not having both stink up this room."

Her ear twitched as if to say Fat? I am not Fat, it is called fur! Then her left ear twitched and Saskia nodded.

"Sausage it is," She dialled the room service buttons and ordered a large meal for herself, one that could feed two grown men, and a single pet meal that the hotel offered. She had enough time to have a shower and wash her hair before the food came and she did just that.

The shower was smaller than she would have liked but she couldn't really complain. Luckily, Saskia had been allowed to get some personal belongings out of the house before the FBI completely took over for the investigation.

Crawford said that she wouldn't be allowed back in until after it was done, but since Will Graham had concluded that it wasn't the small killer as before, so they would only try to find Samson's killer. Saskia was sure that it was Liam who killed him but the team needed to prove it with evidence so the house was on lockdown until then.

There was a hesitating knock at the door before a squeaky voice said, "Room service."

"It's open," Saskia said as she began to finish the last curl, holding it up until the heat resided and she knew it would hold.

The door opened and a young man, barely into his twenties, came in with a small trolley. He pushed it until it sat at the base of the bed where he watched Countess's eyes follow him warily. He gulped and took the lid off of the pet meal, placing it by the designated food bowl near the door.

Saskia came in after putting a silk robe on, rubbing lotion into her elbows and wrists to keep them properly moisturised. The robe hid enough but the male's eyes still trailed down her form as she picked up Countess' bowl and placed it by the base of the bed.

Her eyes dared him to say anything when he opened his mouth. She handed him a twenty as a tip and as a bribe to keep silent. His eyes widened as she smiled and shooed him out, then her smile dropped.

Countess' tail flickered as if to say, Men.

Saskia snorted as her tail flicked left and Countess waited for her to start to eat before she even thought of starting herself. The mutt jumped off of the bed and waited by the base of the bed, her tail still going from one side to the other in anticipation. When Saskia took the first bit of her spicy rice, Countess almost jumped into the plate of fresh sausages and gravy and an assortment of specially picked vegetables.

"You got a little something on your nose," Saskia rubbed the right side of her nose to show Countess. The dog's pink tongue came out and, instead of going straight for the area, it wrapped around the side and went across the front and against the other side. "Disgusting, Countess. Really."

It neared six o'clock and Saskia decided it was time to properly get ready. She still had to do her makeup and then put on the dress and heels. Saskia shuddered, by the end of the night her feet would be in pure agony but she would look so good in them. The price of beauty.

She pulled the little black dress over the thong. The dress was skintight and had a halter neck top with no back so the only option was to go braless. Thankfully, Saskia was confident enough to do so. The dress came down to mid thigh with a line of sheer lace mixed in to give it an enticing look overall.

She was going to be cold.

Saskia finished applying the plum lipstick that would match her coat and accent the red bottoms of her heels. She rubbed her lips together as she rubbed the tiny bit of colour her skin caught in the corner of her mouth. The overall makeup was neutral with a certain glamour feel to it, her eyeliner and eyelashes were sharp and perfect as she smiled into the mirror. It just made her eyes and cheekbones pop.

She sat on the bed as she pulled the black platform stilettos closer, Saskia buckled the tiny strap around her ankles before she stood up. She almost lost her balance, staggering for a moment before distributing the balance correctly.

"You," Saskia pointed at Countess who was ready to nap on the bed once again. "Need to behave. I've taken you out already and we both ate. I'll be back in about two or three hours."

Saskia pulled the plum coat closer to her as she got in the pre-ordered taxi in front of the hotel.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"I want to thank everyone who came tonight," Mia Kimmer raised her glass to the whole room as her smile was bright and welcoming. "I want everyone to enjoy my work as they walk around. There is no order to them, see them as you will. People will be walking around with refreshments, take as you will. Thank you again."

Mia had been the woman Saskia had asked to do the covers for her first novel in the Murder With Miscreants series. She had done so well, Saskia had employed her to do the rest of them. Of course, Saskia would see the finished products before they would be official.

Since her books had a darker tone to them than normal murder and thriller books, Mia was allowed to rework her inner sadist into the photos and images she presented for Saskia.

One of Saskia's favourites was Cyra.

A black and white picture of an absolutely beautiful woman. Her hair had been allowed to fall however they wanted and it gave her a wild yet elegant look about her. The woman's lips had curled up into a self-satisfied grin that barely showed the teeth beneath. The only thing that was in any way strange, or gruesome in some people's opinion, was that the skin around her eyes which would have normally been covered by a mask had been pulled clean away and revealed the pearly white skull underneath along with empty eye sockets. The woman cradled a mask, the skin and eyes that should have been on her face were the mask, the edges of the skin mask were frayed slightly.

It was all special effects, of course, and a bit of editing, but the final result was just as ghastly as it was beautiful. Cyra had been based on Saskia's first book, it focused on the fact that you couldn't trust someone simply by their looks and actions. It was also based on the character Cyra, the serial killer who, after injuring both eyes so they forever looked malformed and misty but she could still see perfectly fine, became jealous of other people who had beautiful eyes.

The book had been a bestseller and several publishing agencies wanted to sign Saskia for a long term contract. She laughed in their faces before she began to ignore any and all attempts of contact from them.

"I didn't think I would see you here, Miss Alasite,"

Saskia's concentration was broken as she turned to face Doctor Lecter in his black suit, tie and vest with a bright red shirt. Her curiosity had been piqued and she smiled pleasantly.

"Nor did I you, Doctor Lecter," Saskia clinked her still full champagne against his half-empty one. "But it is a pleasure to finally meet in better circumstances than finding bodies, blood and broken coffee machines."

"That it is, Miss Alasite,"

"Alasite," Saskia almost snapped, having enough of people producing it wrong for one day. "It is pronounced Ala-site-ah, not Alasite. Americans can never pronounce it right and it pisses me off."

"I would understand why, Ponia Alasite," He said, curling his tongue around the Lithuanian words. It made Saskia snort lightly.

"Yes. My understanding of that written language may be nonexistent, I can still hold a conversation well enough," Saskia saw that one of the waiters came closer and quickly deposited her glass on it.

"Are you not thirsty?"

"I don't like champagne," Saskia muttered. "It leaves a weird taste, kind of like sparkling water, I hate that too."

"So," He said after allowing a smile to appear on his lips, he gestured to Cyra with the glass in his hand. "I see that this is the cover for your first novel."

"Yes, Sight," Saskia said, pride filling her as she felt recognised. She stifled her words for a moment as she realised her instincts were going haywire near him, she ignored them but she would keep an eye out. "Cyra is the main protagonist and villain of the first book. She takes people's eyes and faces after an accident which damaged the looks of her eyes. She does it in such a cruel way that the victims were almost declared insane by the end of the procedures because she inflicts so much pain as a sort of revenge. No one suspects her because she is so beautiful and charismatic."

"Grim,"

"That's the point," Saskia loosely crossed her arms, keeping her eyes away from his. "Oh, and Crawford had called me earlier, having been advised by a Doctor Bloom, he said how I should see a psychiatrist because of how I reacted at the scene. Bullshit I say, but I have made an appointment with you for this Friday nonetheless."

"He is just concerned about your mental state after the ordeal," Doctor Lecter said with a slight frowning twist of the lips. "After all, you found a body of a previously loved one and then someone was shot dead in front of you."

"My parents had been concerned since I started writing, nothing new," Saskia rolled her eyes lightly. "I believe it's because of my reactions, however. I prefer to use dry humour and humour overall to make myself feel better. You'll learn all about this. However, I don't want to leave Countess alone. I don't like people in my mind and I would probably lash out in some way or form, be it verbally or physically. Would I be able to bring her?"

"I don't see why not. Why don't you like people in your mind, might I ask?"

"You can ask all you want when we have the appointment, then I know whatever I say will stay between us," She turned to him, fully looking into the unnatural maroon eyes of his. Saskia sucked in a breath and remained calm as her instincts made her want to hide. "I'm a careful person, Doctor Lecter. I don't tell my life story unless I'm confident in the person. My mind is my life, my imagination is my livelihood and skill. I've honed my mind over many years to where I am now."

"We will see how much skill you have honed," He said, almost bowing with the inclination of his head. "It seems like others require my attention. Good evening, Miss Alasite."

"Good evening, Doctor Lecter," She said, inclining her own head.

She sighed. It was hard to find someone who could pronounce her name without fumbling it around their tongues for several minutes. It was new, nice almost, but very strange.

Saskia felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Mia with a glass of whiskey in her hand. The average woman wore an emerald green dress that complimented her dark skin beautifully. Her hair had been pulled up and made a slight mohawk style with her coarse curls.

"Here you go," Mia winked and passed the glass. "This waiter company isn't worth their salt. I told them to get you a whiskey instead of champagne, but they didn't listen."

"Lifesaver," Saskia smiled, sipping at the glass with a satisfied moan. "Thank you. So the last two books have been finished…"

"And you want to see the covers," Mia faked a sigh but gestured to the photographs a few frames over. "Of course, I haven't completely finished them, they need text and I need to read the book before I can decide on the item. These are the final pieces."

"I'll send you a copy, same contract as before, though," Saskia nodded as she assessed them, her eyes grazing each minute detail. "Beautiful."

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"You're right on time," Doctor Lecter smiled as he opened the door more to allow her into the office.

The place was so beautiful, it reminded her of old libraries with a modern twist. There was another layer to the office, consisting of a walkway lined with books of different genres. Her keen eyes could see the tiny speck of ginger hair on the chairs.

"I hate being late," Saskia ran her hand against the chair before plucking the hair off and allowing it to fall onto the floor. "Do you know of a Freddie Lounds?"

"Yes, she's a tabloid blogger for," Doctor Lecter unbuttoned his suit vest and sat down, before gesturing for Saskia to do the same. "Why? Has she approached you?"

"The bitch approached me yesterday while I was out for dinner," Saskia dug her nail into the leather arm of the chair, watching his eye twitch as he accessed her anger. She wasn't very happy about being interrupted by the woman which the red-haired woman constantly did.

"Why do you call her a bitch?" He uncapped his fountain pen and wrote something that looked like her name in a cursive script.

The answer shot out without her needing to think about it, "Because she is rude. She tried to manipulate me in such a manner that it was obvious, tacky almost. She tried to guilt-trip me into telling her what happened. Most of all, She interrupted my meal, and no one interrupts my meals."

He stifled a chuckle before asking, "How did she try to guilt-trip you and manipulate you?"

"Tried to pass her curiosity off as the need to get the truth out. Two men who knew me died in my house, one brutally tortured before death. It was the public's right to know if they were in danger, she said," Saskia rolled her eyes at the thought. "I was eating and I was not in the mood to deal with her. So I allowed her to sit before debunking every jab she tried to make. Also threatened her career if she didn't leave me alone, that seemed to get through to her."

"Why did you threaten her career?"

"Easiest way to make someone leave you alone, that or threaten them or their loved ones. And I don't want to be a suspect if that twit ends up dead because she butted in somewhere where she shouldn't have." Saskia tried to stifle her yawn with the back of her hand, not wanting to look rude or insolent.

"Tired?"

"Yes,"

"When did you last sleep?"

Saskia glanced at her watch, mumbling, "It's half two, so three hours ago I woke up. I slept for five hours straight."

"And before that? When did you sleep before then?"

"Three and a half hours before the art gallery on Tuesday,"

"You've slept eight and a half hours in about four days? That isn't healthy,"

"Look, I know it isn't healthy but I can't help it. I've been sleeping better knowing that Samson is dead. It was probably just paranoia that disrupted my sleep, and my caffeine and writing. I don't like sleeping. I'm awake most of the night writing and by the time I actually go to sleep, the birds have started and I can't sleep. After a few days of little sleep, I crash and I think that's gonna happen tonight. I'll be asleep for about eleven straight hours."

"And Countess? How does she sleep?"

"She sleeps more in a day than I do in a week," She mumbled, almost jealous of the dog and her sleeping pattern.

"Why did you name her Countess?"

"The first night she came home with me, I watched a documentary about Countess Elisabeth Bathory," The dog's ear perked up with a twitch. "She loved the name and refused to be called anything but."

"You talk of her like she can understand you, and you her?" Doctor Lecter's eyes flickered to Countess as the dog gave him a dark look which he found amusing.

"I know that she can't understand me verbally, but body language is different. I can tell when she is agitated, or hungry, or annoyed, just like in humans,"

"So," Doctor Lecter started again. "When did you get Countess?"

Her eyes opened as one of her ears twitched. With her tail whipping against the porch wood, Countess yawned silently.

"She's a rescue," Saskia fondly jabbed the dog in the hip as she tried to go for her boot. "Abused by all of her owners, I rescued her after I first moved in. I found the house much too quiet. I'm used to a racket, be it sisters or roommates, I never really lived alone."

"Do you not like being alone?"

"Oh, I love being alone. There's a thick line between being alone and being lonely. The house was putting me into the latter category because my writing takes up all of my time."

"Yes, your writing. The group at the Behaviour Analysis Unit said that your novel is so realistic that they feared you were a killer yourself," He smiled in good humour. "How did you make that happen?"

"Nothing a bit of research and plenty of imagination can't do," She copied his facial expression but it dropped as soon as he looked away at his notepad.

"Did you always want to be an author?"

"I had planned to be a lawyer or a psychiatrist of sorts, but I always wanted to be a writer since I was in my mid-teens. Did Masters in psychology and sociology later on."

"Why?"

"Why not? What did you do before you became a psychiatrist?"

"Well, I received an internship at John's Hopkins medical school because of my drawings. I studied there for a medical degree before I decided to go into psychiatry."

Saskia nodded faintly, her attention was caught by the once again falling snow.

"I'm curious as to why you asked for an appointment. Are you scared of something? Have you something to prove?"

"When I was a teen, I got physically attacked by two girls who I didn't know well," Saskia started as she refused to look at him. "My friends stood there while they pulled parts of my hair out. When I was on the ground, the girls kicked me twice in the head, not too hard but still kicked me. I was dragged by the hair a few feet. That was the first instance that I found out that some people cannot be trusted.

"While I was being hurt, I laughed. Big, hearty laughs. I shouldn't have been laughing as they kicked me in the back when I sat up. I was crying but I was laughing at their pathetic attempts of pain. They dragged me again when they realised I was almost making fun of them.

"As I grew into a young lady, I realised that I was desensitized to blood and gore and all that. I gladly watched documentaries about serial killers, animal abusers, wars, anything gruesome you could watch, I did by the time I was twenty. Even worse, when I walked into my house Tuesday morning. I was happy that he was dead."

"Because you did it or because someone else did it for you?" He said, watching her huff with slight amusement at his words.

"Samson was a bastard, trying to gaslight me and manipulate me into being the perfect wife. I turned the tables around and he never realised. But I didn't kill him. Have I fantasised about killing him? Several times. Have I ever had an urge to kill him? Only when he kicked Countess did I actually want to physically attack him but I relented. I didn't kill him but I am very happy someone else did it for me but I wish they didn't do it in my house."

Instincts told her to be wary, cautious as the man before her didn't react like she thought he would have; he made a small "Hm," sound and didn't write anything down. He then asked, "Do you know who did it?"

"I presumed that Liam did it but we may not know unless there's full proof evidence," Saskia lifted her legs onto the chair, carefully folding them under her.

"You look uncomfortable."

Saskia turned her head to him, a subtle but not harsh glare in her eyes. "And you sound like you believe that I had something to do with his death."

"Do you?"

"I didn't kill him…"

Saskia knew that Hannibal Lecter suspected her. He had reason to, she wouldn't answer the question fully like he would have preferred, and she didn't like to look him in the eyes. His eyes, even though he tried to make them warm and welcoming, made Saskia's hairs stand on their ends as he gazed at her like a predator lazing around before the kill.

That was one of the reasons why she only did a single appointment.

She didn't need to be found out.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

She only had to stay in the hotel for two weeks before they concluded that Liam Osborn had killed Samson Tyler. They found Liam's DNA under Samson's nails and Liam still had the bloody knife in his waistband.

After the crime scene cleaners came and got rid of most of the blood in the bedroom, Saskia was hell-bent on completely tearing the place down but she relented and deep cleaned it instead.

Saskia pulled on thick grey trousers as she tugged the clean boots on along with a sleeveless top and yellow gloves.

The first thing she did was tear out the ruined carpet in the living room and the vinyl in the kitchen, replacing the flooring with tiles. Since most of her furniture was warm and dark woods and greys, she decided to go for large square tiles that were a dark and warm grey. They were a pain in the ass to place down but Saskia had already marked where each square would go. That made it so much easier.

Countess had wandered out of the house a few hours ago. Saskia wasn't worried, she had her chipped and wearing her navy collar. She knew that Countess would find herself home when dinner was ready, Countess was anything but late to meals.

Hmm, food.

The flooring took most of the day but Saskia wasn't tired with all of the physical work. She was used to wandering from one side of Baltimore to the other without tiring herself, her mind wouldn't allow her any peace until the early hours of the morning.

Music filled the house, a mix of Punk, Rock, and Pop. Saskia needed the energetic tempo the music gave, she sang along with her favourite songs as they came on even though she was scrubbing the inside of the fireplace thoroughly spotless.

The windows on either side of the fireplace were opened fully, having both handles turned to open to the wintery air. Saskia wasn't cold even with them open, her constant head bobbing to the music was fueling her warmth as she mimed the lyrics.

KNOCK KNOCK.

The sound didn't startle her, she had heard the creak of the wooden porch before the person had finished going up the small set of steps.

"Who is it?" Saskia's voice was heard clearly over the music, pausing in the scrubbing motion.

"It's Doctor Hannibal Lecter, Miss Alasite,"

CLANK.

Saskia winced as she ducked her head out of the fireplace, rubbing the back of it. "It's open."

There was a pause before the front door opened and Countess sashayed in and jumped onto her favourite high back chair without a care. It made Saskia smile fondly as she dropped the scrub tool into the soapy water bowl. She turned the music off with a simple tap on her phone.

"I had tried to call you," He began. "But you didn't answer."

"Sorry about that, my phone is always on silent. It's a force of habit now,"

"Samson?" He prompted.

"Yeah, he kept leaving so many messages that it was insane to listen to all of them,"

"Well, idiocy can't be helped. You look awfully cold," He said after a moment of accessing the open landed level of the house. Saskia shrugged. "Anyway, I found myself in Countess' company after I found her sitting with one of my patients. They are quite fond of her, almost relieving them of stress and worry when they pet her."

"She has a habit of wandering after being kept locked up for most of her life," Saskia peeled the gloves off before putting them to the side. She shoved the windows closed and this made the room so much warmer already. "Would you like a coffee?"

"If you're offering, I wouldn't say no," He smiled.

"I wouldn't offer if I didn't intend on fulfilling it," Saskia turned the machine on and it began to clean itself. "Come in, no need to loiter outside."

He gestured to his shoes which had been slightly covered in snow. Saskia waved it off, saying that the tiles would live and were so much easier to clean than carpet. He sat on the brown chesterfield sofa directly in front of the fireplace with Countess lounging to the left.

"Strong and plain, please,"

After the sound of grinding beans, this time Saskia checked the water just in case, and the sound of hot liquid splashing against the clear glass cup, Saskia stirred it once for good measure. She had pressed the button for her coffee already as she went to hand it to him, careful to not spill any of the burning coffee on her hand.

"Here you do, Doctor Lecter,"

"Hannibal, please, you are no longer my patient and I am no longer your psychiatrist,"

"Then Saskia, any pronunciation is welcome with that one," She watched him clasp the glass cup without making any sign of pain. Curious, even for her, it was hard to hold without letting the burning heat go to her skin. She went to get her own cup, pouring milk instead of that disgusting creamer most Americans prefered, with a lot of sugar.

"What coffee beans do you use?" He said, smelling it for a second before sipping at it.

"I think I got a dark roast last week," Saskia said before drinking the liquid that was a bit more bitter and smokier than normal. "Yes, definitely dark roast."

"I do apologise for not bringing Countess straight here but I had patients for the whole day,"

"It's alright, no harm done. She wanders but I'm surprised that she found her way to your office, she usually doesn't go into buildings without me,"

"I found her curled up with one of my patients, they adored her and I didn't see the harm in letting her comfort them," Hannibal said. "However when she saw a patient, she instantly knew if she liked them or not. She would curl up under the desk if she didn't."

"She's a good judge of character now, being used to quickly accessing if someone would harm her or not," Saskia almost muttered with a sad tone but shook it off. "I want to thank you for bringing her home. She doesn't like going out after dark by herself."

"Compared to most of her breeds, she's very well behaved and doesn't shed as much as I thought she would,"

"Na, I give her a good brushing every other day or so. She'll start to properly shed in spring, that's when I need to get a decent brush,"

Countess had almost draped herself sideways in the chair, her head leaning over one arm while her tail hung on the other. Her tail flicked, making only the white tip twitch as they spoke about her. She was content with simply listening.

"You've remodelled some of the house," It was more of a statement than a question as he gestured to the kitchen which now had a large island table instead of the useless half wall.

"The cleaners cleaned most of the blood upstairs and the bodily fluid from the corpses," Saskia said. "But the carpet was completely stained and the walls needed new paint. Since Samson is gone and dead, I no longer have to watch my back. The change was needed and I could afford it because my second book did as good as the first last week."

"Did Miss Kimmer also design the cover?"

"Yes, she did an absolutely gorgeous job. Of course, it took several tries but she finally got the look I was going for,"

The newest book was Mouth. The main character was Myra and she bound the lips of her victims because the rumours they sent around were cruel. Most of them were gossipers or people who didn't know when to shut up. She left the victims with their lips sewn shut into a smile before slicing through the cheeks to the ear to let them choke to death on their lies.

"I believe Miss Katz had been concerned with you having experience since she read it,"

Saskia almost snorted into her coffee but she was careful as she drank it. "Nah. Capable? Sure. Do I want to wear a prison uniform? God no. I'll stick with just writing about them, thanks."

Hannibal stood up, dusting off the nonexistent dust. "I best be going, it's getting late. Thank you for the coffee, Saskia."

"It's the least I could do, Hannibal," Saskia also stood before taking his empty glass. "If I lost Countess, or someone harmed her, I might just act out what my imagination gives me."

He smiled, amused with the playful but sarcastic tone she had. "Well, if Countess ever happens to wander off and isn't back in time, give me a call. I wouldn't mind her help with the patients."

"Alright. At least I know she's safe when she's not here," Saskia said.

Hannibal showed himself out with an inclination of his head. When he turned, Saskia tilted her head and watched his very nice backside walk away. After he closed the door, Countess made a snickering sound as she jumped from the chair, sitting by her feet with a wolfish grin.

"Shut it, Countess," Saskia whispered, slightly embarrassed about being caught by her dog. "It's not a bad backside, and he's fully dressed, that's gotta count for something. Dinner?"

Countess twitched an ear before strutting to the kitchen and depositing her rump onto the clean island table as Saskia began to make both of their dinners.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Lithuanian words used:

Ponia = Lady, Miss. (Can be Mrs but the last name usually has to end with 'iene', with the start of the husband's first name. Kinda like Johnson, son of John, but instead of son, it's wife. Daughters have something similar but different, sons take the father's last name.)

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"It's not even noon, Crawford, this better be good," Saskia complained as she tightened the fluffy robe around herself. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

The FBI agent stood in the doorway before glancing back out into the street. "This needs to be confidential."

"Fine, what is it?" Saskia gestured for him to come in with a yawn. She had barely gotten to sleep before he knocked, she grumbled as she turned the coffee machine on. "Want a coffee?"

"Sure, black, one sugar," He said. "You know your books, Sight, and Mouth?"

"What of them?" She mixed his coffee before doing her own and bringing both of the glasses to the island where he took a seat.

"We found a body today, several hours ago actually. Katz had stated a similarity between the book Sight and the way the person was murdered."

"What of it? Why does this concern me? Oh, you better not suspect that I did it. First Samson, now this." She sipped at the cup and allowed the warmth to fill her as caffeine entered her bloodstream.

"No, no. Even Doctor Lecter had said that he didn't believe you capable of something like that,"

"Good." Her face was blank before slight concern laced her features. "Why are you here? If you don't suspect me, why inform me of this?"

"They based the first murder off of the first kill in Sight, bloody blade left and all. Then the second is the same with the blowtorch, and third with the black-handled scalpel. And then the fourth and fifth. We found the fifth tonight."

Saskia stilled in her seat.

This could mean that someone was copying the kills in her book. If the trend continued, almost two dozen people would be killed if all three books were followed. Her books were very popular with young adults and older teens, perhaps sometimes the older generation.

Why would they copy her work and make it a reality?

She sipped the hot coffee, clasping her hands around the warm glass. "You're scared that this will result in a serial killer, not different killers doing this. If the person who is killing follows what I wrote, they would kill almost twenty-one people in total."

"Twenty-one? We only counted eighteen kills in the books, seven then eleven,"

"Because the last book, Listen, hasn't been published and it won't be for two weeks," Saskia almost whispered a groan, her eyes flickering in thought. "And I cannot postpone the release. There are too many branches of the publishing world to cover for every copy of it to be stopped. Are you absolutely sure about this?"

"Yes, the details you wrote completely matched all five bodies. There will be another two bodies coming up within the next few weeks."

"I only wrote about five of the seven kills in detail. The other two were more as a note." Saskia rubbed her chin to rid herself of the coffee that spilt. "Why have you told me? I can understand if you need the copy of the book early. You could have gotten a warrant to take the physical copy, but you decided to tell me and so you expect something. What is it?"

"Hannibal was right, you are sharp," Crawford's lips turned to a smile before dropping. "Will Graham isn't much help with this case since we already have the how and why. We need to know what you were thinking when you were writing the scenes since we believe the killer has gotten into the deeper meaning of your works."

"I'm just the author,"

"With a Masters in Psychology, and Sociology, along with the two years you did in law school before moving on to relocating to the states and doing lectures on academic writing. We did a background check."

"Of course you did," Saskia rolled her eyes. "So what's happening then? How will you need my help? Will I just tell you what I was thinking, or do I get to see the bodies too? I've always wondered what would happen…"

"When what?"

"Nothing," Saskia finished her glass.

"Can you come to the HeadQuarters?" His stance, while he sat, was stern and rigid as if he was cautious about his word. He had nothing to hide from her but this stance was because he couldn't disclose everything to her just yet.

She nodded with a quick, "When?"

"Now if possible,"

Saskia thought for a moment, recalling that she had nothing planned today. She sighed with a slight smile, she was still tired from only sleeping a few hours.

"Yeah, just let me get dressed," Saskia stood up before arranging the machine to make another cup of coffee and walking upstairs.

Dressed comfortably in black jeans, top and flat boots, Saskia sat against one of the walls on the floor. The board with all the information on the bodies and scenes of the crime. Several pictures of each body laid out in order of when they were found.

When she was writing the books, all the brutal murders, she thought of the things she wanted to do to the people who wronged her. They weren't always wrong when they did it, but Saskia held a grudge against them nonetheless.

"Coffee?" Crawford, or Jack as he preferred to be called, said and gestured to the small coffee machine in the corner.

"I don't drink instant coffee," Saskia rubbed her palms into her eyes when the lights became too much for her. She wasn't used to so much artificial light, especially how bright these lights were turned to. The woman had finished her two coffees already and she needed another but she wouldn't be able to until she went home.

She refused to drink that disgusting instant stuff, coffee beans or nothing for her.

"Right. Hannibal and Will will be here soon, they had an appointment… Speak of the devil, there they are," Jack's smile brightened as the impeccably dressed Hannibal, and mousey haired Will came into his office.

They both seemed tense, like predators that were ready to pounce at any moment. This made Saskia want to stand up and not be an easy target but she refused to seem weak, even to herself. Her eyes flickered to them and acknowledged that they were there, she didn't move as they stepped into the office.

"Jack, you called?" Hannibal said, running his hands down his torso to smooth the suit front. He saw Saskia lounging on the floor against the wall and smiled, showing teeth, "Ah, Saskia, you're here."

She greeted them with an almost dismissive wave before nodding.

"The killer is using my books as a template for his crimes, of course, I'm here," Saskia stated before simply crisscrossing her legs and gesturing to the board. "So far, the first two kills were the most detailed in the first book and he executed it perfectly down to leaving the instruments. Then the third and fourth were less detailed and the fifth was detailed again."

"He? How do you know it's a male?" Will asked, his eyes going to the board to see if he missed anything.

She gestured to the first picture, a man had his eyebrows removed and left deep cuts that allowed the skull beneath to see. "The force it would take to actually rip that skin and muscle off is extreme. The physical strength needed isn't something I could do either. Besides, males are usually more aggressive and random in their kills than a female who would go for more meaningful kills."

"Unless the motive is revenge," Will muttered. "Then how did Cyra do it in the book? They were supposed to be realistic?"

"Anger, great amounts of rage, and adrenaline, and a huge grudge against the person," Saskia began to try and stand as Hannibal saw and helped her up. Her vision went black as she swayed slightly, she sighed heavily and tensed her body still as she waited for it to stop.

"Saskia?" Hannibal's tone was concerned as he clasped a hand on her shoulder to keep her steady. She started to walk to where she knew the board was, stopping two feet away. This happened much too often in her teens and so she was used to walking even when she couldn't see for a few moments.

"Iron deficiency and I got up too quickly, my vision is black," Saskia allowed her eyes to dart around as the centre appeared before the edges could catch up. "I'll be fine in a minute."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, it happens to me all the time. I forgot to take my iron pill before coming here," She pointed to the pictures. "This here is where they should have cut into the eyebrow before peeling the skin and flesh off, not rip it. I described it as a swift motion with a careful edge, not pull it till it comes off."

"Graphic," Jack almost muttered in a low tone.

"Well, it certainly wasn't going to be read as a bedtime story, Jack," Saskia muttered as her eyes were solely focused onto the board. Her instincts told her something was wrong on the board, that it didn't belong on there. She didn't know what it was and it was grating on her nerves and teeth.

"When was the last body killed?" Saskia turned her head a few inches but kept her eyes on the board.

"We found it this mo—" Jack started.

"No, I asked when it was killed," Saskia interrupted with a slight snap.

"Zeller said that the decomposition puts the death about forty-eight hours ago,"

"Three moons after, Cyra found her next victim, a portly woman of whom she had no respect for. Her eyes were a brilliant hue of blue when the light hit them, Cyra faked smiles for the woman but she would never care for her." Saskia recited from memory. "In the next twenty-four hours, probably tonight, there will be another body. They will have flayed skin on their cheeks and back, that's the only detail I actually put in."

She snatched the white pin from a photo of the newest body whose gender she couldn't decipher. "Hey, Jack. Is this victim male or female? I can't tell."

"Female this time," Jack said, pointing to the line that stated each victim's biological gender before pointing to the full list of victims.

Male.

Male.

Female.

Male.

Female.

Female

But Cyra's victims were primarily females with the first and last being a male.

It clicked.

That was what was bugging Saskia's consciousness.

The killer wasn't copying her work exactly, they were adapting it to fit their sadistic hatred for the people they believed were wrong. They adapted her work to make it personal, they saw themselves in Cyra's position. They felt betrayed by these people they chose.

"These…These people aren't randomly chosen if my theory is correct," Saskia repinned the photo where it was. "Cyra's victims were five females and two Males. Myra has ten males and three females. Lyra will have three males. They're not choosing the victim by their gender, they're doing it by how much they hate them."

"You're saying that these people were close to their killer?"

Will, who had been silently watching Saskia interact with the board, said, "She's saying that the killer believed they had a reason to kill them,"

Saskia did a stiff nod. "All the deaths in Sight are based on the fact that Cyra was betrayed or was misled by their appearance or actions. This person, they were either deceived by the victim's appearance or misdirected by them."

"Cyra, Myra, Lyra. Why do they all have similar names?"

"Spoilers," Saskia's smile faltered as Jack's grim face appeared in her line of sight. She rolled her eyes to the board. "They're triplets, they represent See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil. though I did swap the last two because Sight, Mouth, Listen, sounds better than Sight, Listen, Mouth."

"They, the triplets, they're never caught, are they?" Will said again.

"Well, our little literature thief isn't exactly following the script," Saskia gently bit the corner of her lip before allowing a grin to form. "We'll change the ending to our benefit instead of theirs."

Will turned to Saskia as she did too, he didn't look her in the eye but rather to her hairline. "We'll need the next book before it comes out."

"Digital or physical?"

"Both," Jack said as a precaution.

"I'll make some calls," Saskia muttered as she took her phone into her hands and dialled a number.

They found it quite strange that she didn't flinch when she looked at the pictures. Usually, when someone came in and saw the board that was full of pictures of dead, mangled bodies, they would at the very least avert their eyes from it. Saskia was perfectly happy to look at them, even touch the photos without the disgust any random person would have.

But Saskia Alasite was not random by any means.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"ARGH!" Saskia gasped and slapped her palm against the island where she sat with her laptop in front of her. The pain was immediate and pulsed in time with her blood flow. She was trying to connect ideas between the books and the bodies found but she wasn't getting very far tonight. Lack of sleep would do that.

Countess gave her no attention on the couch, her furry body took up most of the space and became a dark blur because Saskia refused to put too much light on while she worked.

It wasn't even past five in the morning before Saskia's phone went off. She flinched at her desk before rubbing a hand across her hands and answering with a slight yawn. "Hello?"

"Saskia, it's Jack Crawford," He said, his voice almost devoid of all positive emotions. "We found the next body. Female, the skin on her back has been almost shredded."

"Okay. Can I come see it in person before it's moved?" Saskia leaned against the back of the chair, almost making it rock. "Has the blade been left?"

"Ah, yes," He said before rattling an address off and telling her to dress warmly in waterproof shoes.

Saskia sighed. She'd been awake since noon and believed she wouldn't fall asleep for a few more hours at least. Her attention had been on the links between the bodies found, Jack had sent her copies of the files, and how they linked to her books. Saskia had spent almost eight hours at Jack's office before he also went home, then Saskia spent another nine hours at home on her laptop.

Time sure flew when you were trying to find evidence to convict a killer before they kill again.

She really didn't want to leave Countess, or really Countess refused to let her go alone. After pulling a caramel coat on and finding her waterproof boots, Saskia grabbed Countess' leash if she needed it. Countess sent her dirty look but she knew that if it was requested, Countess would have to be leashed. She was a good dog, obedient and loyal, and she hated being leashed.

Her hair was flying behind her as she got out of the taxi and watched the parade of people in uniform around the area. It was mostly marsh wetland around her if Saskia remembered correctly, it would have been completely frozen if it hadn't been the middle of February instead of mid-winter.

She texted Jack that she was there and that they, being the officers around the parameter, refused to let her go in. With a flash of burnt orange, Freddie Lounds stood next to Saskia with a confused and wary tone in her eyes, her lips pursed.

"What are you doing here, Miss Alasite?"

"I might ask you the same thing," Saskia turned to the redhead with a passive look.

"Well, I'm a journalist. I need to have the best information and what better than the scene itself," Her smile was just as fake as her need to be rude was real. Her eyes raked down Saskia's form before landing on Countess. "And why would you bring a mutt to a place like this?"

Saskia stayed silent before raising an eyebrow with a look that would make her stand down. Countess growled deeply before also becoming silent.

"So?" Freddie started, expecting an answer from the duo. She should have known that Saskia wasn't going to answer if she didn't want to, Saskia might as well do a full-blown lie and Freddie would have believed her.

Saskia's eyes darkened and she turned to face the oncoming person, Hannibal, who waved a hand to the officers near her.

"Let her through,"

Freddie Lounds had thought he was referring to her so she smiled brightly before starting to walk. Saskia wanted to laugh when Lounds was stopped with a frown on her face.

"Not you, Miss Lounds," Hannibal said, an almost displeased look came over his face before turning to Saskia. "Jack sent me to get you while Will and he stayed at the scene. I see that Countess followed."

"Countess refused to let me leave alone," Saskia muttered when his eyes latched onto the dark form beside her. "Not since Samson's body was found."

"Protectiveness is one of the ways animals show us that they care," He smiled before tweaking one of Countess' ears. The dog pushed her head into his hand with a very doggy smile.

"Thank god Jack told me to wear boots." The ground had turned to mush and reached the bottom of her ankles when she stepped. Countess had a similar problem but she was graceful enough to only get it on her paws.

"I was surprised to hear that you requested to see the scene,"

"If I see how the scene is laid out, I can fully compare it to my work," Saskia said and then shrugged the coat closer to her when the wind blew a bit too cold against her neck. She smiled before saying, "I've seen two dead bodies, what's one more?"

Less than a minute later, Saskia pointed and muttered, "That's disgusting—"

As Jack had said, the woman's skin had been shredded. He forgot to mention that it was shredded to the bone on her cheeks. Cut at an angle, the slashes allowed the killer to pull the skin up and back, making a slight design of elegance. He did the same to the back, but the muscle had been stripped out and gone, leaving the back as a swirling design of bloody slashes that laced into a demented but beautiful picture. Each cut was thin but long, always pulled from the centre to tug the artwork into existence.

"—but oddly beautiful."

Saskia didn't dare touch the body and Countess stood far away enough from everyone, carefully watching the woman.

"This-this corpse belonged to someone who the killer cared about enough to make the killing beautiful," Saskia said, stuttering over the first few words when she yawned. She shook the sleep off before crouching down before the naked body which laid on her front with her face to the side.

"How can you tell?" Jack inquired as he turned to look at her next to the body.

"Hannibal, you were in medical school," Saskia pointed to the cuts, "Don't these look a little too clean to be made quickly?"

Hannibal leaned over her shoulder, refusing to crouch down. His eyes flickered over each edge of the cuts. "Perhaps. And the blade quality?"

The blade had been brand new by the sharpness of it but the cuts would have to be done slowly to actually have that clean of a cut.

"Search up any colleagues, friends, acquaintances. Check for grudges against her. Then compare them to the other victims," Saskia said, standing up fully. "You wouldn't make artwork out of just anyone you knew."

Saskia's bright eyes and smile unsettled Jack but he hid it well and forced her to see a Doctor Bloom before she could see any more bodies and the like.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"Jack Crawford is just concerned about how these crime scenes could be affecting your mental state," Doctor Alana Bloom said, trying her best to sound sincere but Saskia didn't care if she was or not.

Saskia leaned forward in the chair across from Alana. "My mental state is fine."

"Jack said you were smiling at the scene,"

Saskia had, indeed, smiled. A bright smile that had deeply disturbed Jack. Saskia was aware of what she was doing, there wasn't a moment when she didn't. She controlled herself to an immaculate degree but she forgets that some people had a certain expectation of acceptable behaviour.

Society norms were boring.

Saskia scoffed. "I emotionally detached myself from the scene and the body. To me, it was just a corpse, nothing special or to be concerned about. I'm already desensitised to gore and the like. I already had a session with Hannibal Lecter after I found Samson and Liam in my house."

"Yes. Jack told me about that, he wanted to know how you were doing after that."

"I'm here, I'm fine, I'm not homicidal, and I just want to find this killer before my reputation as an author is ruined," Saskia said, allowing a false gentleness to appear in her posture. "I detached myself. I'm naturally quite a smiley person and I didn't know I was smiling after the scene. I thought we were a step closer to the end of this game of cat and mouse."

"Why would you describe it as a game?"

"Because the killer knows that we're on his trail, Freddie Lounds made sure of that on TattleCrimes,"

"Hm, she does find a way to get information,"

"But she hasn't figured out that I'm Syn, or she has but hasn't told anyone,"

"Why do you keep your identity a secret? Your books are very popular, why hide?"

"I'm a private person, Doctor Bloom, and it's hard for me to be actually telling you things," It was hard for Saskia because she had to be extra careful about what she said. Her words could be misunderstood quite easily otherwise. "But I'm trying to open up. I don't want to be known as the beautiful woman who wrote those murder mysteries. I want to be known for my work, not my appearance. You would understand, wouldn't you? You don't look a day older than thirty."

Flattery could and would get you places, and information.

Alana Bloom smiled warmly. "I'm thirty-three."

"I'm turning thirty in a few months," Saskia sighed, "Scary to think on how time flies. I remembered when I first published Murder With Miscreants: Sight. I never thought that someone would be inspired by my work to actually start killing, it's truly disgusting."

"That it is…"

If Saskia paid enough attention, she could see the exact moment that Doctor Alana Bloom finally believed what she said. It really wasn't that difficult to manipulate someone into believing you, you just needed to be patient and watch for subtle physical ques.

After spending an hour talking to Alana Bloom, Saskia was sure that the woman truly believed that Saskia was completely fine and would continue to be fine. However, Jack had asked that Saskia attend these appointments until the whole thing was over or when he was certain. He wanted to make sure that 'the scenes weren't having a bad effect' on her.

Saskia was quite happy with looking at the bodies and how the killer thought her work was worth. It was slightly surreal with how each body was demonstrated compared to what Saskia was imagining in her mind while she wrote. She was almost pleased with how detailed and exact each body was.

Saskia gladly agreed and had weekly sessions with the woman from then on. The talking turned from simply therapy to a good conversation between the two women. Saskia began to actually like talking to the woman but she was still guarded around her childhood and family. It was like having a friend that you knew couldn't betray you, unless Saskia was about to do something that would harm someone or herself.

She was not that stupid.

Saskia told Alana of the desire to speak to Freddie Lounds and create an article about the murders. Alana was happy that Saskia was confiding in her this desire, and asking her if this was the right thing to do. It would prevent the lies and mistruths Freddie Lounds would usually state.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia sat in a small cafe in the middle of a busy day while she waited for the woman to arrive. She fiddled with the cup's tiny handle while she people watched. A man was screaming at another because his 'so expensive shoes are now ruined!' because he stepped into a coffee spill. The waitress who was speaking to him told him to quieten down or leave, making him even angrier.

There was something familiar about the man but she couldn't see his face. Saskia rolled her eyes before ordering another coffee and scrolling through her social media.

"Sign," Saskia said as soon as Freddie sat in front of her. When Freddie warily looked at it, Saskia rolled her eyes. "It's a non-disclosure agreement, and the other allows me to control what you post about me."

"Why do I need to sign? Can't you trust me not to tell your secrets?"

"No," Saskia blinked as if it was obvious.

"Very well," The redhead said and signed with a sigh before passing them forward. "Tell me what is it about the new bodies found and Murder With Miscreants."

"And it means no recording devices," Saskia held her hand out, beckoning her to give the device over. "I see the notes you write before you leave."

"Fine. now tell me." Freddie leaned forward with her pen in hand as she twirled it between her fingers in anticipation.

"Syn, the author of the Murder With Miscreants Trilogy, is me," Saskia said and watched the woman's features slightly change. It would have been unseen to the untrained eye but Saskia saw it as clear as day. She was surprised yet intrigued. "And you can't put that in the article. I would like to keep my privacy and my identity a secret. Nor can you post any pictures of me."

"Alright. Why are you helping at the scenes? Have the FBI asked for your help because you wrote the books?"

"Yes. Jack Crawford has asked for my help when the fifth body turned up and still matched my book. He wasn't getting anywhere and wanted to know the actual thoughts that went through me when I wrote the books,"

"So you're not the killer doing this?" Freddie hummed.

"No, I'm not," Saskia licked her lips before rubbing them together in thought. "I'm just helping the FBI catch the killer because there will be almost two dozen victims otherwise."

"Are you helping because you feel responsible?"

Saskia found her little head tilt amusing. Freddie did it when she was getting into the information and truly believed what she heard, wanting to process it completely.

"No, my work is purely fiction. Just because someone decided to make it real isn't my fault, but I will help prevent the deaths if possible."

"How close are you to finding the killer?" Freddie folded her arms across her legs, crossing them at the knee as she leaned even more forward.

Saskia shook her head. "I can't disclose that information yet."

Freddie's forehead twitched in annoyance which made Saskia's lips pull up into a simper. "How many bodies have been found?"

"Six now," Saskia glanced across the cafe for a moment before bringing her eyes back to Freddie's courtesy ones. "There will be a body within the next week, not sure when but it will conclude the Sight victims."

"What about your newest book? Isn't it supposed to be released tomorrow?"

"Yes, I couldn't postpone it. I have given the FBI a copy early so they understand what is happening before the killer does,"

"How many will be killed in the book?"

"Can't disclose that until after it's published,"

"Alright. What will the focus on the newest book be?"

"How listening to rumours can land you in trouble. Not everything should be believed," Saskia gave her a careful look, one that made Freddie wary and sceptical. "Murder With Midcreants will end as a trilogy as I intended it to."

"Did you ever think your books would be used as inspiration for actual murders?"

"No, I didn't, or I would have made the details vague. I made them for pure enjoyment, a murder mystery was always one of my favourite things to read…"

The conversation went on for another hour before Freddie was satisfied and had Saskia look over her notes before leaving. Saskia sighed, at least Freddie wouldn't be bothering her anymore. If she wrote anything that wasn't to Saskia's satisfaction, Saskia had the right to have it brought down and have Freddie sued if she desired.

Saskia didn't like to outright lie, but she wasn't against using half-truths and twisting reality to fit her needs. She liked to tell the truth, even if it was only the tiniest bit true.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Jack had summoned Saskia to sit in front of his desk along with Hannibal, Will, and Alana. She sat in the middle with her chin resting on a closed fist with the tiniest curl of the lips as Jack tried to reprimand her.

He shoved the open laptop to show her the screen, the tab was on TattleCrime.

"I don't see a problem," Saskia ground her teeth as Jack glared at her with no warmth. It didn't affect her in the least. "I was in my legal right to agree to an interview with her. "

Her eyes were blank and unblinking, her lashes touched her eyelids that were lightly dusted with a rusty shade of powder. She didn't feel guilty for doing that, there was no shame in it, or remorse for her decisions for doing it.

"It was reckless, Saskia,"

"I know what I'm doing," Saskia rolled her eyes and interlocked her fingers together, resting them on her stomach while her elbows were on the chair arms. "If I give her a certain amount of information, she won't go looking for false ones to satisfy her viewers. If she has questions, she'll come to me and not another source that could make me look bad."

"She could still go out and find another source if she isn't happy with you,"

Saskia sighed. "I made her sign a nondisclosure agreement for some things but I also made her sign a contract that said I would see anything and everything she wrote about me, my book series, and this case."

"You gave out information about a case?!" Jack's anger was evident on his face.

"That information is already out there, Jack. I repeated what she said. I didn't give her anything that wasn't already public. I'm not incompetent nor stupid, I watch my words around her," Saskia wanted to scream in frustration but she forced her anger to be a cold bite in her words, almost making Jack flinch as her warm personality disappeared for the moment. "If you don't mind, I've got places to be today. My phone is on, call me if the need arises."

Has The Murder With Miscreants Trilogy inspired a serial killer?

After six body, five of which have been confirmed to be identical to the details in the Murder with Miscreants: Sight, have been found, the FBI is concerned that the best selling murder mystery, thriller book has inspired someone to make the fictional murders a reality.

It is confirmed that Syn, the author of the trilogy, has agreed to help the FBI find the killer and even gave them the last book, Murder With Miscreants: Listen, early.

Syn had agreed to do an interview with TattleCrime to confirm some suspensions that the public had.

'One day, the FBI came to my home,' Syn said after I asked how they found out about the murders, 'Not many know my identity and they wanted to confirm that I wasn't the one doing the killing. It's understandable.'

'How many bodies will there be?'

'If they follow my work exactly, twenty-one. Seven, eleven, three," They said.

'Why did you write the books?'

'Pure enjoyment. My audience has always been of the slightly darker nature within everyone,' They smiled before it dropped, 'But no, I didn't plan on having anyone following through with the actual acts. It is purely fictional and I don't condone the use of my work in their demented gain of attention. There's a thick line between fiction and reality, I think.'

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

By the end of the week that reached into March, the seventh victim was claimed and found. For once, the body was found at a reasonable time and Saskia didn't have to be woken up because of it.

The body almost completely matched the front of the novel.

The woman's eyes had been carefully taken out of their sockets, along with the skin around her eyes and eyebrows. She had been placed into a sitting position against a tree branch, almost posing her like one would a model. Her hair had been braided intricately but with large gaps where the fingers would have grasped the strands. In her cold hands, she held the mask that was once her face.

"She's the last of the Sight victims," Jack said.

"The next lot will be worse," Saskia crossed her arms as she examined the braid. "The gaps in the hair braid definitely suggest that it was done by a male. Females usually have smaller and daintier hands, and these gaps are huge."

She compared the gaps with her own fingers which slipped in without resistance. Wedged between the tightest loop, Saskia found a tiny slip of paper. She waved a photographer over before she took the paper, showing it to them and Jack while Will did his thing and Hannibal spoke to the people who found her.

"Open it," Jack suggested with a nod.

Fear froze her as her eyes caught the words. Her breath caught in her throat and made her swallow loudly. There was a slight burn in her nose as her tears welled in response to her fear, she didn't allow them to fall but shoved it down. Goosebumps lined her body as she uncontrollably shivered.

This couldn't be.

No.

"Will, Hannibal," Jack said, waving the men over as Saskia still clutched the note in her hands. "Have a look at this. A note."

Saskia handed it to him without turning it over, fearing what would be there.

Does my artwork reflect your written works well?

Love,

Hamlet.

"Who's Hamlet? " Will asked. "Who's he writing to?"

Saskia stood as the three men looked at the note, she forced a slight smile to her lips to try and hide the unbelievable terror in her eyes. She held her eyes downcast as she asked, her voice almost cracking, "What does the back say?"

This was the part she feared. She really didn't want to know what was on the back, but she had to know. Saskia wouldn't allow herself to live in fear if she didn't have to.

"Ophelia. The woman from that Shakespeare play, Hamlet?"

Saskia's lower lip almost trembled but she wouldn't allow fear to rule her. She bit the inside of her cheek to quench the need to hide, to find safety, away from that note.

"She's the daughter of Polonius, a nobleman in the play Hamlet," Hannibal commented, placing his hands behind his back as he leaned forward to look at the note in Jack's gloved hands. "She was the potential wife for Prince Hamlet but he leaves her heartbroken, resulting in her madness and eventual drowning."

Saskia always had a fear of drowning, that was always something she was scared of. It was a fear that stood at the back of her mind, she had forced herself to learn how to swim when she was a teenager.

But hearing the story of Ophelia again, no, she couldn't do this.

Not again.

She began to back away from the body, her eyes still downcast. Hannibal had been the first to notice but he didn't say anything.

"Are you alright, Saskia?" Will suddenly asked, his eyes almost meeting hers if she looked up. He stepped forward towards her as he saw the tears welling up in her eyes, the distrustful and shell shock look in her face.

"No, I'm not," Saskia admitted in a barely-there whisper, beginning to hug herself. She shook her head. "I can't do this anymore, not with him. Not again. Sorry, Jack, but I'm not going near him or his work again."

"Him who?"

"Leroy Harris," Saskia spat the name out with venom. "If he's the one doing this, I can't be here."

"Why can't you? If he's the killer, we can arrest him,"

"I don't care," Saskia said, her feet dragging her back inch by inch. "I'm going home before you drag me into this mess more than you need to."

Jack saw her haggard breath getting caught in her throat, true and uncontrollable fear held strong over her. "Go home. I want you in my office tomorrow, however, we still have a killer to catch."

She nodded as she tore the gloves off, shoving them in a biohazard bag before almost wandering away in a daze. Her eyes might have been unfocused but she still heard Jack's request for one of them to take her home, he didn't trust that look in her eyes. He was right to do that.

Will caught up to her easily, his strides longer than her own. He grabbed her elbow, careful not to startle her too much in this state. "I'll take you back so you don't have to hail a taxi."

Saskia jerked her chin in her acknowledgement as Will led her to his truck. They both got in silently as Saskis rattled off her address in a low breath. The ride was silent, save for the light rain against the windows.

"You're terrified," Will said after several minutes of silent driving. The woman had been gazing passively out of the window, she looked numb to the world with her expressionless face and attitude. It was too similar to what Will felt at times.

"I'm not terrified, I'm scared to death," Her hand trailed up to the back of her neck, right at the base of her hairline was a tiny scar that was once a wound that almost killed her. "If I'm correct, Harris will keep killing until I'm dead."

"Why would he want you dead?"

She bit the side of her nail before saying with a slight snarl, almost mockingly said, "Because I refused to die last time."

"Last time? He tried to kill you?"

"Yep," Saskia took a calming breath as anger filled her. "There's a reason why the note had Ophelia written on the back. I was barely in my twenties when we met, falling and crashing into love. It was the sick type of love that was obsessive, and needy, and unhealthy in all ways. I dumped him because I planned to change universities because I wanted to do something different, he had other ideas."

"I see that he didn't succeed in killing you," He said in dry humour, thinking this was the best tactic to use with her.

She huffed, pursing her lips as she allowed a tiny smile. "He kidnapped me for a week, eventually deciding to drown me as Ophelia did. He always compared us to Hamlet and Ophelia, quick to love and mad to lose. I faked being dead and then he slit the back of my neck, enough to look like suicide if I was found. He left me like that in a river."

"A lot of people around you are deranged, aren't they?" Will muttered as he took a turn.

"I attract a lot of stupidity and insanity," Saskia's tone turned from amused and playful to blank again. "I'll have to see about getting more appointments with Alana after this. Especially if I have to continue helping with the case."

"You said you weren't going to help, not with him?"

"I changed my mind. If I don't help, twenty-one people will die. If I can stop that and get the bastard the death sentence, I'll be a very happy lady."

If she could wrap her hands around that man's throat and watch as the life slowly drained from him, she'd be set for life.

She had fantasied on how to kill him several dozen times before, ever since he had dared bring a blade to her neck. Her hands wanted her to take her long nails and simply gut him in his jugular as he bled out beneath her like dirt on her expensive shoes. He wasn't worth any thought anymore, no more than a child's opinion on a complicated matter that didn't involve them.

Her hand twitched and she clenched her fists closed, digging her nails into her palm. With a slice of pain, she broke the skin of her palm and relented in her anger. Saskia was calmer now, her anger dissolved as the pain came. Saskia didn't notice that Will had observed her doing this when he came to a red light. She didn't even flinch but simply traced the tiny cuts before clasping her hands onto her coat to hide the fact they were bleeding.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

It was getting warmer as the days turned into weeks and soon months passed and several other bodies were found. All matched Mouth victims, counting only five bodies left before the killer would be finished.

Saskia slowly retreated from the investigation, only coming when asked. She had sessions with Alana twice a week, especially since that little note was found. Jack insisted on it, especially when he had seen what state she had left that day.

She saw less of the trio of men, and even less of the trio that mainly worked in the BAU. there was no need to see them unless a new body came in. They had enough information to place Leroy Harris at each scene but they couldn't find him.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"You look pale," Alana said after Saskia opened the door to allow the woman into her home.

Saskia snorted. "Thanks. Beer?"

"Oh, of course," Alana said and greeted Countess with a good ear rub. She came into the house and sat at the island as Saskia opened the fridge to get a bottle out. Saskia poured herself a whiskey before bringing both over.

"I haven't been eating well," Saskia admitted as she swirled the dark liquid with the glass. "It's not like I can't stomach it. If I force myself, I can eat a good meal. I've lost my appetite since the last body was found."

"I heard it cut quite close to home," Alana said as she saw Saskia almost curl up in the stool. Her normally defensive and defiant eyes held a tone of vulnerability in them. She wasn't used to seeing this look within the woman before her, Alana was becoming more concerned with her mental health.

Saskia wasn't by any means feeling less defensive and defiant. She knew she was human, she could be killed and so took precautions to keep herself safe, even if it meant having to show Alana that she was capable of being vulnerable. Saskia hated being vulnerable but it couldn't be helped.

"Yeah," Saskia sucked her teeth.

Mia had been killed.

Mia Kipper who Saskia found endearing enough to actually befriend. She had been the one to do the covers of the books and he just had to kill her. Saskia was so angry when she saw her body, her lips bound by simply twine and cheeks sliced so she would choke on her own blood before dying.

Saskia had to leave the scene for a minute, kicking the wall had helped her anger but did not help her foot. She ignored the pain and allowed a few sentimental tears to drip before she detached herself with a calming breath. It was scary how quickly she turned from wanting to scream in emotional pain and anger to completely emotionally numb. Her eyes turned cold before she reached the body again.

Saskia rubbed her nails against her palm gently, seeing the almost nonexistent crescents there. "I'm thinking of getting my nails redone soon. I chipped a few of them cleaning."

"Oh," Alana leaned forward and looked at Saskia as she rubbed her nails. "What do you plan to get?"

"Perhaps red, maroon red, or blood red, maybe black, maybe grey," Saskia muttered. Right now her nails were a simple nude. "Actually, I might just get black and clear smoke nails."

"Yeah? What shape?"

Saskia thought for a second. "Coffin again, I think. I like this style."

"Good, self-care should be implemented especially when you're feeling down."

"I'm not feeling down. Mia was killed and I actually liked her. I've been drinking more coffee to stay awake, I prefer to not drink energy drinks if I can help it."

"When's the last time you slept?" Alana took another gulp from her beer.

"Last night,"

"For how long?"

Saskia shook her head slightly as she tried to think. "Six, seven hours? I didn't fall asleep till five and I got up at about one this afternoon."

"Why did you go to bed so late?"

"As I've said before in our sessions, I want to get him." Saskia wanted to snap at her but she knew she couldn't. Alana was only trying to help, even if Saskia didn't want it.

"But you're making yourself sick. Do you think you are doing yourself or anyone a favour if you are not taking care of yourself, Saskia?"

"Alana, I'm fine! My sleep schedule is later than yours, that's all. I still get the amount needed. It's better than what I had when Samson was alive. I barely slept for two or three days straight before I crashed on my bed due to exhaustion."

Alana wrote something down before changing the subject, seeing Saskia becoming defensive. "How's the investigation going?"

"Like walking through quicksand that is ready to eat you alive," Saskia had finished her glass and shoved it out of the way. She patted the large area of island counter next to her, silently asking for Countess to come up. She did, laying herself against the cool marble before shimmying her muzzle under Saskia's hand.

"You haven't announced your identity yet," It was more of a statement than a question but Alana was still looking for an answer, Saskia knew.

"Yeah. I've actually decided to release my identity, I'm having it done by Freddy Lounds on her stupid little site, then the newspapers would get wind of it."

"When are you planning on doing it?"

"I've already got an appointment set up with her," Saskia rubbed her thumb across Countess' nose, making the bitch almost glare at her and sneeze into her face. "Thanks, girl. It should be out by the end of the week, before the next victim is taken I hope."

Alana nodded, understanding somewhat. "I'm glad you installed the cameras."

"And the deadbolts, so am I." Saskia blinked, feeling tired all of a sudden. "I can no longer walk around naked in my own home, but the small things we have to sacrifice for safety."

Alana snorted into her beer which made Saskia laugh as the brunette blushed a hue redder. Countess rolled onto her side, miscalculating her size and somehow fell off the edge of the island and landed with a thud. When Alana and Saskia laughed at her, Countess growled playfully before turning away with attitude and strutting to the bedroom.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Syn, the author of Murder with Miscreants, has finally revealed their identity!

With sixteen bodies found by the FBI and confirmed to be the work of the Miscreant Killer, as I have dubbed this special killer who uses the books as a base for his victims. For several months, the FBI has been working tirelessly to try and find the Miscreant Killer before he strikes again, but they have no leads that the public knows about. They might be trying to keep this under wraps but we don't know yet.

As before, I have stated that I, Freddie Lounds, have met Syn in person and know their identity. They have decided to come to me and allow me to expose them. Aged 29, Saskia Alasite (pictured below) is the writer of the famous series that has inspired its own serial killer.

Miss Alasite has been helping the FBI for many months now, trying to catch the killer. She has given me an exclusive interview that sheds some light on the investigation, only after she had confirmed it with Jack Crawford, the man who is in charge of it. Miss Alasite has given the green light for me to publish this…

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"Fuck this shit," Saskia said as her feet began to pain her. She was walking in the FBI HQ, making her way to Jack's office. Deciding to take off her high heels, she was grateful for the clean floor and the stockings she was wearing. Her heels swung in her hand as she strutted to the office, knocking before coming in.

"Morning, Saskia," Jack greeted before getting out from his desk. He still had his own coffee to drink. The late nights had taken a toll on him the past few days and he sorely missed sleeping well.

"Morning, Jack," Saskia grinned and finished the last of her homemade coffee. She sat down in the chair, tugging her feet onto it and was glad about the long skirt she wore today.

"Don't tell me you walked here without your shoes on?" He looked at her like she had two heads but his eyes still held amusement as his lips tugged up.

"Only after I got onto this floor," She smiled sheepishly before taking a black and green Monster energy drink from her little bag. "These heels are killing me. I only got them a month ago, so they still need to be broken in properly. They're made for sitting, not walking."

"Bella says that sometimes. She has a beautiful pair that she only wears when she needs to look good and sit pretty,"

"Smart woman. I've got about seven pairs," Jack gave her a look that said he thought she was insane. She gasped and laughed, watching Hannibal and Will come in together once again. "Hannibal, how many pairs of shoes do you have for formal events?"

He paused in shock before smiling. "Half a dozen for formal events, and about a dozen for everyday work. Why do you ask?"

"See? I'm not insane for having that many shoes. I've only got twenty-seven pairs!" Her amusement was contagious as all three men smiled at her antics. She had dropped the heels to sit them under her chair.

"Why do you need so many shoes?" Will suddenly asked, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

"To match my outfits and moods. I might feel like wearing boots and jeans for a tougher look, or heels for a more business casual, or flats for a comfy look. If you think twenty-seven pairs is bad, you should have seen my collection before I came to the states," Saskia took a draw from her energy drink. "You'd be surprised by the price of a good pair of heels. A good pair of heels to a woman is like a well-tailored suit to a man, or the other way wrong if you prefer that." She shrugged.

Hannibal stood up taller, almost showing off his own well-tailored three-piece suit. It was charcoal grey with a teal tie and handkerchief. Saskia always appreciated a well-dressed man or woman, especially when in a suit or dress. And when they were already attractive.

She shook herself out of the cheeky smile she had on. "Anyway! Why did you call for me, Jack? Another body? Ooo, another scene?"

The woman looked much too happy about the murders, they thought. Much like a fox, her lips curved up and they swore, if she had a tail, it would have been swaying in excitement.

"Yeah, another body,"

"Victim number seventeen. Are they downstairs already?"

Jack stayed silent, almost remorseful as his facial feature shifted.

"Saskia, there's a note this time," Jack said as he plucked the hidden little piece of paper from the desk.

She was no longer smiley. Shivers raced down her body and she suddenly felt cold. Her once playful stance changed to imposing and icy. Saskia gritted her teeth and held a calculating glare. "What does it say?"

Rosemary and Pansies, Fennel and Columbine,

My dear,

Very few left now.

Saskia suddenly bolted up from her chair, beginning to pace the length of the office like a caged animal. Her jaw was set in a snarl. "He's threatening me."

"Why do you think that?"

"Jack. Those are some of the flowers that Ophelia gives out when she goes insane," Hannibal said as he watched Saskia pace and bite her thumbnail in frustration. "Rosemary and pansies for remembrance and thoughts. Fennel and columbine for flattery and male faithlessness."

"He's threatening me," Saskia muttered again. "I want to find that bastard and get him on the death sentence if I can't kill him myself. When he gets put down, I want a front-row fucking seat."

"Saskia, calm down before you wear a hole into the carpet," Jack said and quickly grabbed the enraged woman by the elbow before guiding her to her seat again.

"You'll bite your nail off doing that," Will pointed out when Saskia kept bringing her hands to her mouth. Saskia sent him a dirty look before stopping, laying them in her lap with a heavy exhale.

"These next few killings will be aggressive, there'll be no care to these victims," Saskia said. "He'll take his time to kill them, perhaps taking the whole day before to dump the body in such a way to appease his inner sadist."

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Hannibal knew Saskia had opened the door as soon as she drew a breath at the sight of his office. A man laid dead on the floor, face down with a blank look. Another man, she knew him as Tobias Budge from a string shop, swung a long string of something she couldn't pinpoint around him, threatening Hannibal as he stepped forward.

At Hannibal's dark look, Saskia knew that she wasn't to interfere and so stepped silently out of the room as Tobias swung forward with the intent to kill. Even if she wasn't being attacked, Saskia's veins filled with adrenaline as she imagined the fight in the office. She closed her eyes as she leaned against the wall, only opening them when she heard the crash of glass against something.

It was like watching apex predators in action as the two fought for dominance.

Saskia was careful to not bring any attention to herself as she watched. Hannibal headbutted Tobias before grabbing his shirt and throwing him towards the desk. Tobias grabbed a sharp metal figurine from Hannibal's desk, turning back around to hit him but Hannibal tackled him and wrestled him over the desk. They split as they landed, Hannibal barely looked up before Tobias swung his foot to try and kick him in the face. He missed as Hannibal quickly got moved to all fours and Tobias stabbed the air as Hannibal dodged again.

She flinched as she heard Hannibal gasp in pain when Tobias jabbed the figurine into his leg. Tobias used this distraction and pulled him onto the desk, trying to slash the sharp edge into his throat. Both men struggled for a minute, each trying to get the upper hand on the other to kill them. Tobias didn't see Hannibal's hand go for the pen, quickly finding it in his dominant arm which made Tobias drop the metal object.

Both without weapons, they resorted to old fashion punches and kicks. Saskia didn't move from the door, she had no desire to stop watching as she was transfixed by the sight before her. It was spectacular to see this fighting style of two men vying for dominance and to see who would survive.

Her instincts told her to leave before it was over, she didn't know how Hannibal would react after this. It was beautifully chaotic and she wanted to keep watching. It was very rare for her to actually see a proper fight between people, especially one that would end in death.

It sent thrills down her back.

With a crack of Tobias' arm, Saskia was brought back to the fight. It was mostly over as Tobias groaned and screamed. Satisfied, Hannibal licked the blood off of his lips and Saskia froze as his eyes reached her wide ones. She felt numb and her face was blank but her eyes flickered continuously between the three men, forcing her breath to remain calm even as Hannibal looked at her before going back to Tobias.

Within a single dozen seconds, Tobias had the pen in his throat and he kneeled and gasped and gagged. Hannibal gave him a disgusted look before plucking the handkerchief from his suit and gently wrapped it around a small statue of a stag. He raised it over his head, licked the blood on his lip again in anger, and brought the stag onto Tobias' head and effectively killed him.

Saskia stayed frozen at the door frame, unmoving as Countess nudged her leg. She was like a deer in headlights, her eyes watered but not because of the sight before her, she now feared what Hannibal might do to her. Countess pawed at her and Saskia looked down to see the dog and two pair of expensive shoes.

She didn't realise that he stood before her.

A startled squeal erupted from her throat, making her jump back as she turned to run. Saskia wanted to be anywhere, anywhere where Hannibal didn't look at her like she was a rabbit caught in a trap. His hands cut her escape short, quickly bringing her to his chest as he refused to let her leave. She struggled and screamed, he pushed her face into his shoulder to stifle the sounds.

"Saskia!" He tried. "Saskia, I'm not going to hurt you."

She stilled but she was tense in his arms, forcing her heart to calm before taking a breath of his cologne by accident. It was dark with the metallic tang of both men's blood.

"Are you calm? Will you stay calm after I let you go?" He felt her nod against his shoulder. Satisfied with her answer and her calmed mannerisms, he slowly unravelled his arms from around her and clasped his hands onto her biceps in case she ran.

Her heartbeat was erratic with adrenaline. Breaths were hard to take in, she felt as if there wasn't enough oxygen in the air for her to breath properly. There was a tickle in her chest, a demented laugh that wanted to be heard.

"Ima—" Her breath was hard but she forced herself to continue. "What the fuck was that?"

Her eyes were wide but not with fear, Hannibal noted with disbelief, they were wide with a type of dark euphoric bliss that was rare to come by, clouded by slight confusion. When he moved even an inch, she flinched unconsciously and a bolt of fear went through her eyes, he could clearly see it.

Her knees wanted to buckle but she didn't want to. Hannibal's hands tightened on her arms, thinking she was going to run but he soon realised she wanted to sit down. He easily guided her to sit on one of the side chairs of his office, surveying her with wary eyes as he folded his blue handkerchief and placed it back in his pocket.

Saskia ran a nail across her lip in thought before she bit the side of it. She raised her head, almost glaring at the man before her. "Didn't you think to try…"

"To keep him alive?" Hannibal prompted with a scoff.

Saskia rolled her eyes as courage flowed through her. She stood up and felt Hannibal tense, ready to grab her if she ran. She wasn't going to run, not in these heels anyway. Saskia just wanted to pace.

"No. Why didn't you think to simply jab him in the eyes? Would have saved you an injury or two. Blind him and as he screams in pain and clutches his head, you could have grabbed the shiny metal thing and thrust it into his neck. This would have saved you a lot of trouble and mess," Saskia quickly said in a single breath before muttering, "But if you did that, you couldn't have made it look like self-defence…"

Hannibal lifted an eyebrow in surprise at her insight. His look told her to continue as he knew she had more to say.

"Have you seen anything like this before? A fight to the death, I mean," He said. "Will you tell the FBI what happened here?"

If Hannibal wasn't Hannibal Lecter, he would have been disturbed by the smile that found its way onto her lips, curling them cruelly as her heartbeat became normal. She sat down, almost flopping carelessly back into the chair as she let out a breath that released her fake facade she had to hide behind normally.

"Remember Samson?"

"I know you killed him,"

"Oh?" She sounded somewhat sheepish, her smile all teeth before him. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

Her display of teeth made him want to snarl. It was like she was mocking him, goading him into proving his worth. His eyes darkened and she tried to hide her gulp, making him satisfied that she knew she didn't have the upper hand in this conversation. Saskia wouldn't back down but nor would he.

"I have a very sensitive nose, Saskia. You love spicy food and so it sticks to you, making your signature scent spicier than normal, and you prefer a darker perfume with a tinge of floral, perhaps rose and a mix of lavender. However, you prefer to use odourless everything else, by choice."

Saskia was somewhat amused by this, a small chuckle escaped her. "I don't know whether to be offended or happy that you know my signature scent." She shuffled in her seat for a second. "Anyway, I didn't kill him. The injuries, however, were me. It was the least I could do for the bastard."

"You didn't answer one of my questions,"

She gasped, placing a hand on her chest. "Oh, I didn't see anything. All I heard was a crash and fighting when I came through the front door. After all, I only came here to get Countess, and by the time I came into the room, he was already dead and you were injured. So I went to help your injuries, so go sit down as I call the FBI before you hurt yourself even more."

He hummed, content and somewhat surprised and proud by what she said. He went behind his desk and sat down as she called.

Will strolled into the office with caution. He glanced around until his eyes laid onto Hannibal and Saskia by the desk, one harmed while the other was fine. Saskia was slowly dabbing some disinfectant on the cuts on his face, but she knew that if Hannibal got an infection, it would be the least of her worries now.

"I was worried you were dead," Hannibal said after Will stood before him, clenching fists at his sides. Jack had followed Will in, standing before the desk while Will walked to stand on their side of it.

"Stop moving," Saskia pulled his face back towards her by his chin, she still dabbed until all of the blood was gone. "I'm almost done."

"Tobias Budge killed two Baltimore police officers, nearly killed an FBI special agent, and after all of that," Jack started in a low tone as he watched the two. "His first stop is here, at your office."

"He came to kill my patient," Hannibal stated after taking a deep breath to think. Saskia finished and his gaze went from her to the body of his patient, Jack followed it.

"Your patient. Is that who Budge was serenading?" Will asked.

"I don't know." Hannibal looked up at Will. "Franklyn knew more than he was telling me. He told Mr Budge that he didn't have to kill anymore. And then he broke Franklyn's neck, and then attacked me."

Jack was blunt with his words. "You kill him?"

"Yes."

"Could Franklyn have been involved in whatever Budge was doing?"

"I thought this was a simple matter of poor choice of friends."

"This doesn't feel simple to me," Jack said before turning to Saskia who leaned against the desk silently. "When did you come in?"

"I don't know, I opened the door to find both men on the ground. I was more concerned about Hannibal and his injuries. I called it in before helping Hannibal." Saskia allowed a small amount of fear and pain into her eyes as she looked at Jack, showing vulnerability that would convey her innocence.

"Alright. You've given a statement?"

"Yes," With her answer, Jack nodded and retreated.

Will loosely crossed his arms as he looked at Countess who laid across Saskia's feet. "Why was Countess here anyway?"

"Hannibal has asked for her help with the patients, she's an emotional support animal and is good with bodily cues," Saskia said. "She's been helping with the patients who become easily stressed. I came here because I needed to get Countess home before the taxi's stop for the day."

Will nodded in thought before running a hand down his face. "I feel like I've dragged you into my world, Hannibal."

"No, I got here on my own." Hannibal turned from Saskia to Will. "But I very much appreciate the company."

Hannibal looked between the two before him. One he knew was a killer, one he was slowly manipulating into being more like him by each session. That one was slowly losing grip on his reality and Hannibal needed to stabilise him quickly. The other was different, she knew what she was doing. Her act towards the FBI agent that took her statement was superb, flawless with her eyes tearing up to gain sympathy from them. She was a wild card, not knowing her place in the deck because she hadn't decided where she wanted to go. This one was too indecisive to make the decision in a safe amount of time.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

For the last four hours, Saskia had been running.

After donning warm workout clothes, she slipped her shoes on and grabbed an unneeded leash for Countess. The canine just followed her at a good pace as Saskia tried to get all of her emotions, her frustration, anger, fear, disbelief, out of her system before she did something self-destructive.

It was hard to believe what she had seen earlier in the week. It took a few days to properly process but it came down on her suddenly. She needed to understand but she would, eventually.

Saskia found herself sitting on a bench in a wooded part of the edge of Baltimore. The cold air was fresh against her cheeks as she breathed in the misty air. By the time she had finally stopped running, the afternoon had turned to evening and the sky darkened until the shadows took over.

There was a flash of something moving to her left, she strained her ears to hear if anything was there. Small, calculated footsteps. She smiled, they had a slight limp. Countess growled, almost snarling and snapping her teeth as the figure stood behind Saskia on the bench.

"Sit down, Leroy," Saskia calmly suggested. "We both know that you aren't ready to finish our little cat and mouse game just yet."

"You know us well, Saskia," His voice became sick with sweetness as he jumped over the back of the bench to sit next to her, leaving a foot between them. Dark circles under his eyes suggested bad sleep, a guilty conscience that plagued him with nightmares that wouldn't leave him in the night.

"We were soulmates, Leroy. Time couldn't make me forget that," Saskia kept her gaze forward and she almost heard him slouch. "The keyword was were. I could have forgiven you a month ago, a year ago, but not after you went after one of my friends."

"Who?"

"Mia Kipper, the photographer and editor you killed as victim number sixteen," Saskia sat up and took a breath in and exhaled, watching the breath turn to mist.

"Ah, her," He gasped, turning slightly to face her. "She was quite a catch. She squealed quite loudly for you. Were you close?"

Saskia detached herself, quickly losing all fear she had for the man and his actions. She smiled sadly as she agreed. "Somewhat close. I liked her. It could have been more but you killed her so we won't know now."

"No, we won't," He sounded dejected, almost sad by the words he said. Leroy had both hands clenched on his thighs, not in anger or any emotion Saskia could decipher.

Saskia brought her hand and clasped one of his. She looked at his dark eyes. "Thank you for helping me kill Samson. I couldn't have done it myself."

"I know."

Even after the attempt on her life years ago, Saskia still held a small degree for the thin-faced man before her. For years, they had been friends and then dated for a few months. As she had said, they both knew they were soulmates but for this life, it wasn't right. Both were too headstrong and unwilling to bend to the other's expectations.

They were Ophelia and Hamlet, one willing to leave the other for madness.

She might have still loved him but she wouldn't allow the relationship to manifest again. Once was enough. Her heart didn't rule her, but she did not rule her heart either. It slowly loosened its grip on the love she felt for Leroy but it was still there, the tiny sliver of deranged hope in the darkest pit of her heart.

They had split on bad grounds, neither wanting to admit the truth. They were perfect for each other, but this perfection came at the cost of their sanity. With each passing month in their relationship, they became reckless with lust and gore.

Saskia knew they needed to stop.

"I'm not coming back," She said when he asked. "I can't."

"Why? You said we were soulmates!"

"We were two flames dancing well together, but we danced at a pace that soon burned our wicks down to the ground," Her smile was almost sad but it hid the desire to slap the disgusting lust out of his eyes. She gritted her teeth but still continued to smile, bringing her hand to cup his cheek and watched him nuzzle into it. "We were soulmates but we're not anymore. You've taken my books, my life's work and made a sick masterpiece out of the thing that I've spent my life writing. You've come back and took my reputation and shoved it down the drain."

He suddenly turned to fully look at her, eyes wide as they flickered. "You could come with me, help me make your masterpiece the thing generations will speak of when they hear your name."

His hands were cold even through the fleece she wore, gripping her biceps as he frantically tried to get her to agree. He should have known that she wouldn't agree, not now.

"They will speak of my work for years," Saskia said and stood up, he quickly followed. Countess stepped back and readied herself to protect. "You've made so many people read my work because of your killings. You made my work famous. I've been getting requests for interviews across the globe. Just think of how many more I'll get once you're in prison."

"Prison? I'm not going to prison!" Leroy snarled, fumbled with the side of his belt.

Saskia saw the flash silver and gasped. A knife. He dared to pull a knife on her? Her hand was brought up without her thinking, she swung her nails down his face. Four gashes of blood appeared, Leroy groaned before exhaling heavily with a gasp. He stepped forward just as she stepped back.

Countess leapt as soon as she saw him bring the knife down.

"Сука!" Saskia swore as she staggered back, clutching her left shoulder where the knife was embedded in. "You fucking twat! That hurt!"

Adrenaline coursed through her as she swore fluently at him without pause. The wound burned deep with her shoulder but she breathed through the pain.

That was difficult with how much her pain receptors were giving out.

She ran her tongue against her upper teeth as Countess jumped at him, her claws digging into his chest as she bit into his own shoulder. He shoved her off with a jab, quickly turning away and sprinting into the forest. Saskia allowed Countess to chase him, she needed the thrill of the hunt.

She called for an ambulance after making her way onto the civilian paths where she sat down.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Russian words used:

Сука = Bitch (I hear this word shouted at our dog all the time because he loves to get in people's way and lay in the most inconvenient places, like the bottom of the stairs when it's dark. It's also because he's ball-less now,:) )

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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

The ambulance came and Saskia calmly got in after summoning Countess from the depths of the forest. The two paramedics had secured the blade so it wouldn't move as they made Saskia lay down and checked her vitals. They were quite surprised by how calm she was in answering all of their questions. When they got to John Hopkins Hospital, they rushed her in.

Forty minutes later, the doctor was still accessing the damage made. She had time to call Jack to tell him that she had been stabbed. There was a police officer standing outside her room because she had told them who she was and what, mainly, happened.

Saskia had been careful to not touch anything with her other hand, the non injured arm had traces of Leroy's DNA under her nails.

"Hiya, Jack, Hannibal," Saskia was laying down in the bed. Her fleece had to be cut off of her to gain access to the wound, as did the strap of her sports bra so she just laid with the bright blue sports bra and leggings on. The knife was still there, deep within her shoulder.

"Saskia." Hannibal said in shock as he took in her appearance, mainly focusing on the stabilised wound on her shoulder. "I'm quite surprised you're conscious."

"As am I," The doctor, Doctor M Bundy by his name tag, said. "She came in with the ambulance and refused to speak of what happened for this to occur, insisting we get a guard at her door and a private room. I presume it's to do with the Miscreant Killer case so I allowed it. She's refused pain medication."

"I've got Leroy's DNA under my nails," She lifted her right hand, wiggling her fingers with a playful grin. "He stabbed me when I refused to go with him. He wasn't wearing gloves so his fingerprints might be on the knife too. Countess bit him on the shoulder too."

Her eyes went from the blade to the three men.

"So," She began again, turning her head carefully to face the doctor. "What's gonna happen? I want this thing out of me."

"Well, we'll have to do surgery to get the blade out carefully and then see what damage has been caused,"

"Cool," Saskia mumbled. "That means I'll need a nail taking off, right doctor? My nails are far too long for those heartmoniters."

"Yes," he said after taking a look at her hand. "You'll need to have a nail removed, or really just cut down, before the surgery begins. I'll be back in half an hour to take you up."

Doctor Bundy left without a word, nodding to Jack and Hannibal as he walked out.

"What happened?" Jack asked, bringing a chair to the side of her bed.

Saskia exhaled loudly before a small laugh erupted from her chest, paining her shoulder but she ignored it. Hannibal looked to the IV that was giving her fluids and blood. When he reached for it, Saskia stopped him.

"I don't need pain meds," She said, almost begging him to leave it alone. "I prefer to be lucid. Thank you though, Hannibal."

"Not a problem," He stood behind Jack before looking at his watch and then to Countess who laid in the corner of the room, watching them all.

"I went running, I was full of adrenaline, and frustration because we're getting nowhere with the case, and strong rage at Leroy for killing Mia," Saskia gulped, her throat dry as she forced her words forward, manipulating them as needed. "I sat on a bench in the forest, I needed the peace that fresh air gave. I knew I was being watched and when I heard his footsteps, I knew it was himno."

"How did you know?"

"His limp. He got it when he was eighteen in a fight, he's had it since. Since I knew it was him, I foolishly asked him to sit down. We spoke for a few moments, I even asked if he was the one doing the killing. He confirmed it. He asked me to come with him, make us infamous with each new kill he did. I refused and he pulled a knife," Saskia's voice was full of emotion and quivered at the right moments. She gestured to her shoulder. "I slashed his face with my nails and he got angry, stabbing me in the shoulder before Countess could get him. She chased him away as I called the ambulance, and here we are."

"I'll have an alert out for anyone with facial cuts and dog bites on shoulders in hospitals," Jack muttered as he got up and began to make a few calls. He left the room as he began, not wanting to disturb Saskia more than she already was by her injury.

Hannibal took his seat, unbuttoning his suit jacket as he sat down. His eyes roamed Saskia's as he asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I've been stabbed. How do you think I'm feeling?" Saskia scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I just want to get out of here already, and not get an infection from this fucking knife."

"How are you mentally?"

"Patient confidentiality?" She asked and continued when he nodded. She ran her tongue across her canine. "I'm ready to kill that bastard myself. He threatened me and I acted accordingly, and I'm not sorry for it. I watched Countess begin to chase him and it felt somehow right, letting her have the thrill of hunting him. How long do you think i'll be in here?"

"I'd say a week,"

Saskia groaned, moving her neck a bit as it turned stiff. "I'll need to get someone to look after Countess. I doubt the staff would appreciate her lounging around here."

"I can take her," Will's voice came from the doorway after the security guard saw his badge. He looked as usual, slightly sleep deprived but overall alert and awake. "I've taken Abigail back to Port Haven, Hannibal."

"Good. Thank you, Will," Hannibal said as he stood up.

"How, er, how are you holding up?"

"I've been stabbed, not stunned," Saskia smiled to show that she was fine. "I think I skipped shock and went straight to adrenaline rush and meltdown. I spent a good ten minutes crying earlier, so I'm good now."

"Good, good," Will said, averting his gaze to the wound on her shoulder. It had stopped bleeding a while ago, now the blood around it had dried slightly and her clothes were stained.

Saskia just knew he wanted to look at it closer, his detective instincts taking over. "You can come and look at it, Will. It can't get any worse than this. They've said that it missed everything critical but the pain receptors might have been damaged. They won't know until they go in."

"Deep," He mumbled after walking to the other side of the bed, standing right before her shoulder. "How long was the blade?"

"Three, four inches? Straight back knife," Saskia said.

"It's a clean cut. Was it done within a single movement?"

"Yeah, he stepped forward and brought it down at an angle,"

"Quick and clean, meant to harm and allow him to leave. He didn't want to kill you, if he did—"

"He would have gone for my throat. Rather the shoulder than the throat."

A nurse came in at that moment, her face showed shock at the words that escaped Saskia's mouth at that moment. She blinked but relaxed when Saskia smiled. The nurse asked both men to leave, she needed to get Saskia ready for surgery and so needed privacy.

The woman had to get another nurse in, to keep Saskia stable as they cut the sports bra down the side. She was covered with a piece of cloth for modesty as they helped take off her leggings. Saskia had already removed her shoes before she had laid down in the bed.

"Thank you for taking Countess, Will," Saskia said after they were allowed back in when Saskia was dressed in the flimsy gown. It had to be tucked so it didn't touch her shoulder, so it looked fairly strange. "Don't let her fool you into feeding her like a queen, she eats anything and everything. If she wanders, she will come back."

"It's time," Doctor Bundy said from the door. "You'll have to excuse us, gentlemen. Someone needs to get that knife out of the fair lady before she swears at another patient for coming in to pet the dog. Can one of you take the dog to the waiting area if you're staying?"

Hannibal and Will shared a look. Saskia had never seen Will look anyone in the eyes before, this had been the first time she had ever witnessed it. The glints in their eyes were too similar, almost like they shared thoughts for a moment.

Will nodded. "I'll stay so you can see Countess when you wake up."

"Thank you, Will," A duo of nurses came in and began to wheel her out. She used her good hand and pointed at Countess who sat by Will's feet, calling back, "You, be good and look after my ring. I'll see you both when I wake up."

The ring in question was pure silver with two dozen, tiny sapphires sat in a silver band. The doctor had said to remove all removal jewelry, and that was the only piece she never took off unless she absolutely had to.

The gown had been removed and replaced by a strip of fabric over her chest. She had already removed her fake nail so the heartbeat monitor was on her right pointer finger. Her hair was pulled into a flimsy medical net hat. The mask was put on and she was asked to count from ten.

She was asleep by seven.

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A complication in the middle of the normal two hour surgery turned it into a six hour surgery trying to keep the arm active and alive. She had begun to bleed out too much after the blade had been removed. It took time, and a lot of blood, to fix the cut on one of the veins. They had to bring another doctor in when the surgery went slightly downhill, they couldn't lose her and she refused to die.

Even unconscious, Saskia Alasite refused to allow herself to die on that operating table. Her mind was strong enough to hold off the body's natural response to losing too much blood, it knew it would receive the amount needed to live. It forced a small amount of adrenaline into her bloodstream, especially when the doctors added two blood bags to the IV in her arm.

After the fourth hour, she was stable and they were able to start to actually fix the small amount of original damage.

It took a slow hour of suturing, and then they needed to sew the muscle that was cut. When they got to the skin, they had to use metal staples to close the wound completely before they decided she was stable.

The first thing she knew was true was the weight on her legs. Warm, heavy weight. Her head was fuzzy like it was full of cotton balls and she was underwater at the same time. She didn't like this. She felt vulnerable.

She heard light snoring when she regained her hearing. The lights were too harsh for her to open her eyes. Her mouth was dry and, in general, she felt yucky. There was no other word for the tiredness and nausea she felt.

"Fuc—" she tried to say, her throat sore. She could almost taste the air they had used on her.

"You're finally awake," She heard a voice that was full of slight relief.

She barely opened her eyes, just enough to see that Will had been sleeping in a seat next to the bed. Turning her head, Saskia tried again. "Turn the—the fucking lights off!"

"And that's the first thing you say," He said with a laugh. She heard the rustle of the chair against the floor before a click turned the lights off and she could finally open her eyes.

"Do I still have an arm? Cause I can't feel it," It was true, her whole left shoulder and arm was numb. She didn't even try to move it.

"Yes, you still have an arm, and you will have a scar after," Will said after he sat down again.

"What is a dog doing here?" A woman screeched. Saskia turned her tired gaze to Countess who laid between her legs above the medical blanket. She smiled as Countess' tail began to wag furiously. Countess whimpered slightly, almost whining as Saskia brought up a hand to give her ear a light rub.

"If you so much as touch her," Saskia grinned, a little bit delirious but completely serious as the nurse came into the room. The nurse hummed disapprovingly but said no more when Will flashed his FBI badge. That got anyone to shut up. She turned to the monitor which had Saskia's calm heartbeat and noted it down on her file.

"How do you feel? You've been asleep for longer than we thought you would be," She said.

"Like shit," Saskia still grinned, trying to make the situation better than it was. "My arm's numb but that's probably just pain meds. Get the doctor, I want to know how it went."

"You called?" Doctor Bundy said after he came into the recovery room. "There was a slight complication, you lost too much blood very quickly halfway through. It took awhile but we got that covered. You will have a larger scar because of that but everything should heal perfectly fine. We suggest physical therapy for a few weeks to completely regain mobility."

"When can i go home?"

"I'll check the area at noon and then determine if you can leave. Probably not today, you've been asleep a bit too long and we want to make sure everything is alright."

Will yawned from his seat after the doctor left, he rubbed his palms into his eyes after taking his glasses off.

"Go home, Will. You're tired and I'm completely stable, take the mutt before she growls at another nurse. You probably need to feed your own dogs anyway."

"Yeah, are you sure?"

"I'm confined to this bed until I know the extent of my injury," Saskia blinked a bit more when she realised that the pain was beginning in her shoulder. "I'm not gonna run away."

"Jack's got agents at the door anyway, in case Harris comes to finish you," Will stood up, placing a firm hand on the raised railing of the bed. His knuckles had turned white. "I doubt he'll try to attack you again, at least not within such a short time period. If he wanted you dead, you would be by now."

Saskia didn't want to agree but even she knew it was true. He had plenty of time to try and kill her now, but he decided to hold it off.

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Not even twenty four hours passed since Saskia was left alone in the hospital room, save for medical staff, and Saskia was already getting cabin fever. She wasn't allowed to leave the bed just yet, only to go to the toilet and then she had to be very careful to not strain her shoulder.

She was already sick of it.

The food was disgusting, their selection for non-meat meals was almost limited to sandwiches and poor excuses for salads that had about two tomatoes, a slice of cucumber and a piece of lettuce.

And being forced to wear the ugly gowns just made her feel worse. Her left arm had been bandaged up until the wound could heal a bit more before the doctors could put on a sling, then she could wear what she wanted, within reason.

By the end of the second day, Saskia had become friendly with the two nurses who helped her. There was a daytime and a nighttime shift, but both nurses were pleasant and checked on her regularly.

Saskia was grateful when Alana came to visit.

"I would get up and hug you but if I so much as lift a finger, Nurse Kathy will come for my head," Saskia held her hand out for the coffee Alana had brought, already knowing it was properly made. She paused before she could take a sip. "Has the doctor said I can have caffeine?"

"Yes, I confirmed it with him before I ordered it," Alana sat down after getting the chair, watching Saskia quickly bring it to her lips and greedily drink the hot beverage.

Saskia was now allowed to sit up but she had to recline on the back of the bed. She had already taken a slow acting morphine tablet for her pain, it wouldn't make her sleepy or tired like the fast acting ones did.

"I've not been able to drink instant coffee for years now," Saskia smiled against the rim of the takeaway coffee. It was absolutely gorgeous, perhaps not as good as her own but it did well to appease her desire for energy.

"Why's that?"

"Started drinking coffee at like fourteen, felt like it made me seem more adult. Eventually my step father got a proper coffee machine, the same kind I use at home, and he used to bring a new type of coffee each week. My mother hated the machine, she preferred instant because it was convenient," Saskia almost mumbled.

It had been years since she had actually thought of her family. She hadn't seen hide or hair of any of her sisters or parents since she had left education in later months of her twenty fourth year on earth. After finishing both her Masters, Saskia had decided to start traveling a bit more. She got the travel bug out of her system within three years and then decided to stay in the US to write the book she had always wanted.

She sent cards at each birthday and each Christmas, other than that, the half sisters and mother had no contact with her. Saskia's relationship with her biological parents were strained, her father was no longer in the picture because he had died for his home country of Lithuania when she was barely in her twenties. Her stepdad was the only one she liked to contact, even if her mother disapproved and was jealous.

The strain had been at its peak when Saskia refused to live at home after finishing school. Just because her older sister had done that, but she hadn't gone to further education, did not mean Saskia wanted the same fate.

Saskia was thankful for her foresight to remove her mother as medical emergency contact. She didn't want her to know, else her mother would be on the first plane to Baltimore and would try and force Saskia to come 'home'.

Home.

Home was where Saskia and Countess were.

Together.

Home was where both of them deemed safe for their tiny Pack.

Alana gently patted Saskia's hand as she watched the injured woman's eyes glaze over with a numb sheen. Saskia had detached herself as she had thought of her family, trying to protect herself emotionally and mentally against them. Alana saw this often with childhood abuse victims who saw something that reminded themselves of a trauma. She knew Saskia's past with her family, being the middle child was difficult when the eldest wouldn't behave and the youngest was dubbed the 'golden child'.

Saskia had been the verbal punching bag for her mother's rage. Taking, and taking all the pain and frustration her mother felt with her siblings had caused Saskia to personalise what reaction she allowed herself to show when confronted with someone. If it was her mother, it used to be submission and fear as a child and teen, but as Saskia grew older and more confident, it turned to boredom with her yelling and Saskia never cared after a time of being exposed to the emotional abuse her mother gave out.

If a stranger confronted her, Saskia's reaction flipped to sly words and smug faces. Her reaction was mocking with a hint of unhinged emotions thrown in. if the person became hurt emotionally by her words, that was their problem. Saskia had tough skin after years of building it up, why couldn't they do the same?

Saskia never yelled, or screamed, or threatened harm when confronted when she knew she was in the wrong.

Saskia was not her mother.

The heartbeat monitor became slower, dropping into the low fifties as Saskia's eyes were muted.

"You've detached yourself, haven't you?" Alana carefully said and watched Saskia nod her head faintly. "How are you actually feeling?"

There were no words for what Saskia felt.

"Not numb, definitely detached. Feels like my emotions have been put in a tiny bottle in my chest, like a boulder just sits there, not weighing me down but it lets me know that I'm not emotionally available for the time being. Almost like after I cry, my emotions don't become numb. They're still there, just muted and with a single thought, I could bring all of them forward and overwhelm myself. It's just easier to keep them in the bottle and allow them to slowly resurface instead of just open it like a shaken champagne bottle."

Alana couldn't help but smile inwardly to herself. She wasn't able to get much out of Saskia on a good day, so this was a very great day for Saskia's mental health. It added to the small page Alana had on Saskia's emotional reactions to life.

"Can you unbottle them for me?"

Alana was startled by the harsh stare Saskia gave her. With an almost dead look to them, Saskia's already normally cold eyes turned icy with distaste.

"I am, slowly but I am," Saskia's voice was void of any discernible tone. She sighed. "If I do it all at once, or any quicker than the pace I am doing it now, I will start to cry, or I will lash out, or lash out and then cry."

"You know what is happening to you, it's good. Many people don't know the difference between anger at themselves and anger at others, most times they lash out negatively,"

"You know why I know," Her throat tightened.

"Yes, I do…" Alana had to be careful. She saw the look in Saskia's eyes even if she had looked away. There was a vengeful look in there, just a touch but Alana didn't know if Saskia would act on the impulse.

Saskia sighed, taking a deep breath to not overwhelm herself too soon. She shuffled, stretching her back a little to get rid of the stiffness. "So, Doctor Bundy said I couldn't leave until the end of the week because I don't have anyone at home to help me. By the end of the week I should be healed enough to get by without help."

"Where's Countess? I doubt you'd leave her at home alone,"

"Oh, Will took her. He volunteered and I accepted, I-I don't really…trust anyone else? At least not to look after her."

"Will's good with dogs, he's got half a dozen dogs I think," Alana smiled. It was warm and happy, Saskia noted. "I've got a dog called Applesauce."

Saskia jolted with a slight laugh. Her own smile replicated Alana's. She pursed her lips, "Applesauce?"

"She loves applesauce,"

"Did you just feed her applesauce randomly on the first day, or did you already know?"

"No, she came into my life unexpectedly and I had already made some applesauce for dinner. She begged until I gave her some. She's hooked on the stuff,"

"Same with Countess and soft cheese. God, she used to refuse to eat dry food without it," Saskia fiddled with the blanket over her lap, her smile failing somewhat. "I miss her already. It's only been a day. Since I've got her, I've never been without her. I come home and she is always there. Even if she wanders off, she comes home."

"She knows where home is,"

Saskia grinned, almost like a momma proud of her baby. "Yeah…"

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

By the time dinner came on the fourth day, the night nurse, Nurse Davis knocked on the door and startled Saskia from her book. She paid attention instead of having her nose stuck in the novel in hand. Saskia had her arm in a sling to keep her from moving the shoulder unneededly, she wanted to leave as soon as possible so did as the doctor bade.

"You've got a little visitor," Nurse Davis smiled, her cheeks warm with amusement as a furry, not so little, body came in.

"Countess!" Saskia tried to sit up from her reclining position but decided against it, allowing Countess to climb onto the bed and lay her head on her lap. Her whines were painful and it tugged at Saskia's heartstrings as she gave her a ruffle of the fur with one hand.

"You can go in, just make sure she doesn't get up without help," Nurse Davis said to Hannibal who stood by the door, both watching the exchange between the tiny Pack. Nurse Davis sent Saskia a serious look as she said, "She's tried to get out of that bed to get coffee ordered. Something about instant coffee being disgusting. I can't disagree with that. Just make sure she doesn't strain herself if she gets up, Doctor Bundy's order."

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you," Hannibal said. He had taken off his suit jacket and coat, both laid on his arm but he swung the suit jacket across the back of the visitor's chair before sitting down. "How are you feeling?"

Saskia groaned, her hand still in Countess' fur as the dog yawned. "Do you realise how many times people have asked me that? Can you ask me a better question that doesn't make me want to hurl something at the wall? How did you get Countess anyway? I thought she was staying with Will."

"Ah, yes. Countess had found her way to my office," Hannibal clasped his hands together between his parted knees, leaning forward slightly in the chair. "I have already called Will, I believe he'll be here soon enough since he was at the Academy. How have you been holding up? I would presume that it is extremely boring."

"God, you don't realise how bored I am." Saskia tried to sit up with a hand, making Hannibal almost jump forward to help her.

"Careful. If you don't sit up with help, you might rip the staples,"

"Thank you," Saskia said before she began. "I've got nothing to do here! I'm not allowed my laptop because I tried to write and use both of my hands. A big no-no apparently. I can barely hold a novel with this sling—"

Hannibal hummed, his lip quirking up with mirth as she ranted.

"—and I've already read all of my saved books on my phone. I've been forced to write on paper so that isn't too bad, but editing is a pain. The nurses have said I've been a moody, pain in the ass since Countess left."

"Have you? I mean, have you been a pain in the ass?"

"Kinda. They've put me on fast acting pain killers again, and I've been tired all the time but I can't sleep soundly without Countess,"

"The same for Countess," Saskia looked from Hannibal to Will who just leaned on the doorframe with his arms crossed. "Someone decided to have a tantrum when I said she couldn't visit you. Since you said she liked to wander, I let her for the first day. She came back muddy and decided to roll with the other dogs. They, and I, needed a bath after that."

Saskia tried to hold her laughter in when Countess slyly smiled. She couldn't do it for long. It was a hearty laugh that made Countess wag her tail viciously and wiggle further up Saskia's lap with a slight yawn.

"Definitely my dog," Saskia shrugged with her good shoulder. "You're petty, aren't you? Yes, you are! Yes, you are! I can't wait to go home and eat decent food. The selection here is atrocious!"

"I've heard that hospital food is bad, I didn't think that it was that bad," Will admitted as he came into the room fully.

"It is," Her smile remained plastered on until she caught the sadness in Countess' eyes. Saskia reverted back to Lithuanian, "What's wrong, Utėlių?"

She whined and it made Saskia want to whine back.

"We're going home tomorrow, 'Tess. Don't worry, we can curl up on the sofa and watch Downton Abbey again," Saskia mumbled into Countess' fur as the dog lifted her head so her muzzle nestled into her neck. "I'm getting released tomorrow. Jack's sending some agent to take me home because he's paranoid that Leroy would finish me off."

"Good call, but I doubt he'll try anything, he doesn't seem the type to be impulsive. But him attacking you, that was impulsive because he was probably angry,"

"He wasn't angry, he was scared," She interrupted. "I mentioned prison and I knew he was going to hurt me, even Countess knew and attacked him. Has there been any signs of him? Any new victims? There should be another within a day or two."

Will shook his head. "No sign. There's been talk but nothing certain. We've got his DNA, and fingerprints, it seems like this isn't his first crime."

"What was it?" She asked with a slightly shaking breath, she was uncertain if she wanted to know but she had to. "What was his first?"

"When he was twenty, he killed a man in self defense but I've already looked over the file, it didn't look like self defense,"

"So Leroy's an actual seasoned killer," Countess growled, the low vibrating hum made the hairs on Saskia's neck bristle. Besides that, Saskia didn't react and simply shimmied her fingers into her fur to gain some sort of comfort from the conversation. "He didn't tell me that he killed someone, I was dating him at the time I believe."

She was so glad she had broken up with him, she didn't know where she would be if she had stayed with him.

It was silent for a moment before Hannibal began. "Have you heard of the Minnesota Shrike?"

"I have," Saskia nodded quietly. "Why?"

"Well, his daughter, Abigail Hobbs has decided to have a book on her life, how she was a victim and how her father acts have affected her."

"Is Abigail writing it or is someone else?"

"Freddie Lounds has offered," Will interjected with a grim look. "The book would impede on not only Abigail's privacy but Hannibal's and my own as well."

"You don't trust her to write the truth. Understandable. I had to get her to sign a contract and a nondisclosure agreement before I even trusted her with any information." Saskia paused. "Why are you telling me this? What is the point of telling me? You must want me to do something."

"I've told Will."

That little phase made Saskia pause in fear as Will went to close the door fully. She took a breath in to calm herself. Her eyes widened and she became completely alert, all of their movements registered in her mind.

"I've known since Hannibal had spoken to you after the blood in the coffee machine. Hannibal confirmed it for me," Will crossed his arms, looking over the rim of his glasses. "You were always so careful on how you spoke, what information you gave out. Each cut had such aggression that I knew it was personal but you didn't do it, you watched as Harris killed Tyler before transferring him to your house to stage a scene."

"And?" Saskia snapped beforing almost smiling in relief. "Do I look like I care about him dying? No, I don't. Harris was there because I asked him to, he was strong enough to injure Samson but I put the final cut that slowly bled him out before leaving. I never felt so happy as I knew he would be dead and he couldn't hurt me anymore. Am I under arrest then?"

"No. there isn't enough evidence to convict you of anything, even if we both testify. You're helping us catch Harris, aren't you?" Will's tone was almost sarcastic but Saskia nodded as she gritted her teeth. "I could see how much pain you were in by looking at him, you can say that you weren't but I could feel it."

"Fine, you're right about that. Are you trying to black mail me into doing something? What do you want me to do anyway?"

"We want you to offer Abigail a book deal, help her write a book fitting what she wants, and what we want in it too," Hannibal's eyes were dark with a warning that Saskia knew would be acted on.

Saskia blinked, staying silent before bursting out with a laugh. "Is that what you wanted? You could have just asked. Look, I've been following Abigail's story for a while, I'd happily help the girl if she needs it. You just have to convince her to hear me out when I offer it."

"On Thursday, I'm having dinner with Abigail and Miss Lounds as guests," Hannibal said. "Will will also be attending, I presume?"

Will nodded.

"Good. I've already spoken to Abigail and she is willing to speak to you that night, perhaps after dinner at my house. It would be neutral grounds for both of you."

"And Lounds? Why's she attending?"

"Because Abigail wants to use her for the moment, she is very much manipulative, much like yourself,"

Saskia knew Hannibal was flattering her to get his way.

"And you tried to blackmail me so you would know that I would do it," Saskia mumbled with a mocking smile. She reverted to Lithuanian as she turned to Hannibal. "Does he know what happened with the man you fought and killed? And the other? Do you know that I heard everything in your office that day, from the moment he walked in?"

"No, he doesn't. What will you do with that information?"

"Nothing, as long as you convince him to keep quiet about my own." Saskia smiled like she was saying something good and pleasant. "As I'm talking to you, my instincts tell me to run, hide, get away. They do the same when I look at Will. What do yours tell you?"

"Mine tell me to trust that you will do the right thing,"

"The right thing. You do realise that I'm morally grey? The right thing is what I want to do, not what others deem is correct," She sighed. Before turning to both men with a grin. "Of course I'll help. I'll attend the dinner, but I'm a vegetarian."

Why did Hannibal bristle like he was angry when she said that? Her breath hitched an inch but she still smiled as Will nodded along with Hannibal.

Fear was good, fear kept her alive.

Why did she fear him?

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Utėlių = Lice (Used as a term of endearment in my family, especially between older to younger siblings and towards pets)

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

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The small lecture room was full of FBI agents in training, all eager to listen to the words on the case that had been under wraps for several months. The Miscreant Killer was a hot topic at the FBI Academy, they all wanted to know what was happening and how close they were to finding him.

Saskia stood to the side of the room, just about hidden from sight as she watched Will talk to the room of young adults that wanted to learn. Her arm was in a shoulder sling but it was more for her to not move the shoulder unneededly. She wore a blazer over it to try and minimise the sight, the wound was covered with an adhesive bandage to keep it clean and dry.

"For the last year, the Miscreant Killer has been reading the Murder with Miscreant Trilogy and creating his kills out of devotion to the books and their author. Saskia Alasite, the author of the books, has been helping us profile each kill within the books and how they correlate with the real life killings. The seventh and seventeenth victims both had notes. I'll let Miss Alasite expand on the matter."

Will gestured for Saskia to walk to the middle of the room. It was almost daunting to be standing in front of so many people but Saskia knew she could do this, she had spoken in front of a hundred people, almost a thousand at one point during her education. A few dozen trainees shouldn't be that hard, should it?

"This," She began by gesturing to her shoulder with dark humour, "is the work of the Miscreant Killer, confirmed personally by myself as Leroy Harris, as well as the scar on the back of my neck. Leroy Harris is thirty years old, there's his ugly mug!" Will had changed the screen to show the picture of him from a year ago. "I have a personal history with him, so I know better than most about him."

She paused to take a breath, taking in the faces of the trainees who leaned forward over their laptops and notepads.

"Harris is not a psychopath as many would believe, nor is he a sociopath. He has emotions and he is not impulsive. He is careful in his killings. He's trying to perfectly replicate my written work, even going as far as making notes because he knows I'm helping. The thing is— " She started pacing the length of the room as she spoke, completely knowing that Will and all the agents to be were watching her, "—he's not exactly following my work. For each victim, I stated the gender, male, female, non-binary, whatever, I made sure to get in what was needed. Harris is choosing them on how much he hates them.

"On the screen are the names, ages, and the degree of hate out of ten I dubbed them, of each victim we found. There are eighteen now. Leroy Harris has finished with the Sight and Mouth books and will take a long pause before taking the next victim. The same night Harris stabbed me, Countess, my rescue dog who is extremely powerful, bit him in the shoulder before chasing him away.

"Leroy Harris has been confirmed as the killer but he has not been caught yet…"

Saskia was in her element after she shook off her nerves. She was confident and strict as the agents to be took notes and asked proper questions, even entertaining some personal ones. She loved speaking in front of people, even if she sometimes had stage fright. Her British accent came out even more when she spoke.

There was movement at the very back, to the corner of the rows. A flash of movement and Saskia paused to look.

It was Leroy Harris.

His grinning face was mocking her.

She blinked. He wasn't there, it was a completely different person. A trainee. Why would she think he was after her here of all places? It was stupid to think that.

She sighed in relief after the classroom was empty, save for her and Will. Her heart was fast but that was normal for when she spoke in public. Saskia gave it no concern for the moment.

"You did well, especially answering some of the more personal questions," Will's smile was lopsided. "I was surprised you answered some, I would have thought you would be ashamed to admit something like that."

Saskia shook her head to rid the tears that slightly welled. She shrugged. "I'm not ashamed for being caught having sex in an empty classroom, Will. I was annoyed that I got caught, but there isn't any shame in a good sex life. Leroy and I were two halves of whole madness."

A flash of heat rose up her back and then over her head and down her front. It was the type of flush that got her notice quickly. It happened a few more times, though these were smaller and lasted not as long. Saskia stepped back a few feet until her back hit the wall and she could afford to lean on something without wanting to sway. She tugged at her collar.

"I heard," His eyes narrowed as he stepped forward. "Are you okay?"

She hummed, gulping slightly. "Panic attack."

Saskia knew.

The erratic heartbeat was always the first symptom she had, and now her heart felt like it would explode out of her chest. The beating was hard against her ribcage, almost painful with her chest tightening up unexpectedly. With each pulse, her vision throbbed and she blinked to get rid of the tears that wanted to fall.

Her good hand fiddled with the buttons on her shirt until she undid the top two. Saskia gulped air in as she allowed the tears to drip down her cheek. She didn't sob or make any sounds, her breath was shaky and her hands trembled.

"Saskia," Will stepped forward as she scrunched her face up as more tears dripped. "Saskia, answer me this; when did you get Countess?"

Distraction.

Will was going to distract Saskia from her panic attack.

She blinked as she thought. When did she get Countess? She didn't really get Countess, more like she found her. It had been a year. She would have thought a year by now. It was getting close to Christmas again. Maybe a year and a bit? Or less than a year? She didn't know.

"Um, a year?" Her chest was tight and made her voice an octave higher than normal.

"What colour is she?"

"White. Black. Silver."

"What was the first thing she did when she met you?" Will crossed his arms even though he wanted her to look him in the eye. He knew he couldn't touch her in this state, she would easily lash out even with her injury. "Look me in the eyes."

Her eyes might have blurred with tears but they were still bright with emotion. She had to swallow air before she dared look up, catching his eyes as they flickered between hers.

"She growled at me," She mumbled as she recounted the night. Will found the little smile she did when she thought of Countess as quite becoming on her, a little adorable.

"Where does Countess sleep?"

"In my bed, on the couch," Saskia let out a trembling breath as she felt her heart rate decrease slowly. "I've caught her in the empty bath too."

It took a few more questions but Will saw that her breathing was back under control and she didn't tremble anymore. She leaned her head against the wall, propping it up as her tears dissolved and left her numb.

Saskia hated it when she had a panic attack. Sometimes they came full on, like this one did, or it started but she left whatever had triggered it and it stopped before she cried. She didn't always cry but it usually followed after her heartbeat became erratic suddenly.

"Do you know what triggered it?" Will asked.

"Fear probably. Fear of Leroy killing me, or me him depending on the circumstance. Maybe it was due to the fact that I knew Mia and he killed her, or that he threatened me. Or maybe because we're no closer to solving this and getting him in jail." She paused. "I thought I saw him but it was just a trainee.

"We'll catch him. He's been lazy lately, leaving his DNA at the scene. He's been confirmed and his identity has been sent out."

"I hope we catch him," Saskia sighed. "I hate having to look over my shoulders all the time. I had enough of it with Samson."

Will bristled at his name. He didn't really care that Saskia had something to do with his death. Will could understand why Saskia would do it, even if he didn't really agree with it. He was angry with how Saskia reacted when he asked her to look him in the eyes, like she was too scared to not obey. And with her recent injury, it made him angry with Harris for inflicting it.

He'd have to speak to Hannibal about this.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"Miss Lounds won't be here for another half hour," Hannibal said as he took Saskia's black coat from her shoulders as she still had a sling on. "So you can speak to Abigail without interruption."

"I don't know what I'd do if I got interrupted by Lounds again. I had enough of her last time," Saskia nodded in thanks as he hung up her coat.

"I see you've begun to train Countess," Hannibal said as he led her to the living room where she sat down on one of the coaches. Countess followed diligently.

"Yes, I spoke to Alana about my panic attack, and she suggested that Countess be trained to react to them and learn how to prevent them," Saskia leaned back on the coach, allowing herself to relax as her shoulder was still stiff from not using it. "Where's Abigail then?"

"In the kitchen, I'll get her before returning to the kitchen to finish up the preparations. Will a nice salad suffice for you?"

Saskia hummed and nodded. "I love a good salad. Thank you."

"Red or white wine with it?"

"Neither, water will do for me. Thank you, though."

"Antibiotics?"

She shook her head. "I don't like wine very much. I've been threatened by a broken bottle before and I'm kinda put off by wine now."

Hannibal paused, waiting for her to continue but when she didn't, he said, "Alright, I'll be back with her in a moment."

The young woman came in, fidgeting with a sleeve as Hannibal introduced her to Saskia. She sat across from her, taking in the simple army green shirt and black jeans that Saskia wore.

"I was expecting…"

"Someone a bit darker with their fashion sense? Or perhaps not as pretty? Or someone stone cold?" Saskia prompted with a smile. Abigail nodded mutely. "I get that sometimes. I've got the best of both worlds, beauty and brains."

"I can see that," Abigail mumbled. "Hannibal said that you wanted to offer to write my book."

"I did offer." Saskia sat up straight on the couch, shifting her shoulders slightly. "I understand, to a certain extent, what you've gone through. I may not have almost been killed, recently at least, but I've been severely injured as you can see."

With the reference to her throat and her experience, Abigail curled up slightly on the couch and hugged herself somewhat. She was uncomfortable talking about this with a stranger, Saskia could tell.

"What's the difference between you and Freddie?"

"Well, I'm a published and accomplished author,"

Saskia's lips curled up as Abigail stated, "Which resulted in a number of murders being inspired by your work."

She chuckled and Abigail allowed a small smile onto her lips. "I'll give you that, Abigail. Freddie has this trait that makes everything she writes seem like the person is in the wrong. Take Will, she used a selective quote from him which was taken completely out of context. Would you want that to happen to you?"

"No, but she said I would get a lot of money from the book,"

"Which she will want a part of. I'm offering as a favor from Hannibal but that isn't all of it. I want to tell your story how you'd like it written. If you want me to write you like you are the victim that survived your father's actions, or the unknowing accomplice that was disgusted by what he did, I'll make sure that everyone who reads the book is convinced."

Neither noticed that Hannibal had listened in to their conversation. He was surprised by how easily Abigail spoke with Saskia, the girl was usually quite closed off with new people. By the end of the conversation, Abigail had comfortably curled up on the couch, speaking with Saskia as she got to know her a little bit more.

Abigail was thinking all throughout the dinner. She weighed the pros of Freddie writing her book, which wasn't many, and the cons, compared to Saskia's pros, which were many, and cons, which Abigail couldn't really find besides the serial killer Ex.

"I feel terrible, Miss Lounds. It never entered my head that you might be a vegetarian," Hannibal almost spat out that word. "A lapse on my behalf."

He wasn't upset that Freddie didn't tell him, but more annoyed. At least Saskia had informed him beforehand, which he considered polite.

"Research always delivers benefits," Freddie smiled.

"And being correctly informed by the source also helps," Saskia mumbled low enough so only Will beside her heard. She cut up one of the vegetables and brought it to her mouth.

She took the sling off before the dinner started, only needing it to keep her shoulder stable in the long run. For a simple meal, Saskia was able to function without it, and since she used her fork in her left and knife in her right hand, she was able to cut the food without a problem.

His lip twitched before he said, "If it contradicts a good story, hell, publish it anyway."

"Are you still angry I called you insane? The libel laws are clear, Mr Graham." Freddie tried to reason mockingly, inclining her head forward.

"Insinuation is such a grey area," Will almost glared through his glasses at the redhead across from him. His eyes darted to Saskia when she tried to hide her laugh behind her glass of water.

"Insane isn't really black or white, is it?" Freddie raised an eyebrow. "We're all pathological in our own ways"

"You choose the version of the truth that suits you best and pursue it pathologically," Will spat.

"Everybody decides their own versions of the truth," Freddie turned to Abigail who gave her an uncomfortable smile. "I'm here because I want to tell Abigail's version of the truth."

"See that you do,"

"I don't have anything to hide," Abigail jabbed her fork into her meat.

Freddie countered with a hum, "Everyone has something to hide."

"Be it an identity, like in my own case, or a tiny secret that you wouldn't want exposed, or an obscure hobby. We all have something to hide, but that something isn't always a bad or negative thing, Abigail." Saskia smiled softly at the younger girl who returned it honestly.

"You must understand our concerns, Miss Lounds," Hannibal began before staring at her. "We care about Abigail. Our only thought is to protect her."

"She's already exposed. Her silence until now has been taken as guilt."

When Hannibal's eyes transferred from Abigail to Freddie, they went from the warm maroon to the cold colour that blood had when left to dry.

"Guilt?" Saskia questioned, easily holding Freddie's gaze. "I don't see how Abigail is being shown as guilty because she wants to take time to compose herself before bringing the truth to the surface. From what I know, there is not a smudge of evidence that shows Abigail as guilty. I would presume her silence is due to the fact that media, such as Tattlecrime, have given the public access to knowledge that even Abigail hasn't completely comprehended yet.

"So, Miss Lounds, don't presume that silence is guilt. Silence can be a coping mechanism for when the mind needs time to think and comprehend," Saskia paused before turning her head to Abigail who had shrunk into her seat when Freddie had spoken. "I do apologise, Abigail, I don't mean to speak like you aren't here but I felt like I had to say it."

"It's alright, thank you," Abigail said and sat up a bit more.

Freddie pursed her lips in annoyance before faking a comforting smile. "Well, I want Abigail to have a future."

"That's what we all want," Hannibal stated.

"I've offered Abigail my expertise in writing if she so desires it," Saskia watched as Freddie turned a little hostile, digging her knife into the salad a bit more than needed.

"Have you? It is a publicity stunt then. After all, your reputation has been darkened because of the chaos you caused," Freddie smirked as Saskia's face dropped, only the smirk faltered when Saskia's eyes turned cold. The icy stare just made Freddy want to either agitate her more to see how far she could push without Saskia pushing back, but she didn't know how Saskia would push back, and with how the foreign woman was twirling her knife, she was almost scared to even move.

"Careful, Miss Lounds." Saskia almost purred as she saw the familiar wariness in her eyes. "Remember who got you that article for your blog. Didn't it get you several hundred new followers?"

"Eleven hundred I believe," Freddie cleared her throat.

"I can quite easily request that my articles be taken down,"

"You can't do that, they're in the public domain,"

"Oh, honey. They're not. The contract I made you sign gave me every and all rights to take down, republish or draft anything I want with what you wrote about myself, my series, or a few others things you forgot to read about before signing." Saskia's pleasant smile dropped and she saw Freddie almost gulp. The woman nodded stiffly before continuing to eat her salad.

Abigail looked up from her plate, almost smiling with amusement with eyes that flickered between Hannibal, Will, and Saskia. Saskia winked when she caught her eye, then continued to eat.

The room was silent as there was a slightly uncomfortable feel to the atmosphere. Four out of the five dinner attendees were completely at ease but one made everyone else stay on guard. They all continued to eat like nothing was said.

"This is possibly the finest salad I've ever eaten in my life," Freddie started, turning her eyes to Saskia. "Don't you think, Miss Alasite?"

"I agree, it is brilliant," Saskia nodded to Hannibal. He smiled softly as she said, "Thank you for the meal, Hannibal."

"Shame to ruin it with all that meat," Freddie's eyes darted to the three plates that held meat. Hannibal stiffened, even Saskia could see how cold he turned to the redhead.

"Well, the meat looks quite nice too, smells good. I may not eat it but I can appreciate the work it went into making a small masterpiece." Saskia went to pick up her knife, one of the vegetables was too big and she wanted to cut it. "Fuck! Sorry!"

The edge of her pointer finger had grazed the side of the sharp knife, now blood dripped slowly from it. She brought her finger to her mouth before it could drip to the table.

Hannibal took a deep breath in, concealing it with his wine glass. "Are you alright, Saskia?"

"Yeah," She shrugged, checking the long cut on her pointer finger. "Just cut my finger. I'll be fine."

She hissed through her teeth.

"Let's get it cleaned up, Saskia, you don't need to get an infection." Hannibal stood up, coming to her seat on the other side of Will to help her out of the seat. It was unnecessary but he felt like he needed to do it. Saskia nodded her thanks as she followed Hannibal to the kitchen which was surprisingly already clean.

He went for the cupboard under the sink, grabbing the orange first aid kit and opening it on a clean bit of the island. Saskia put the bleeding digit into her mouth, keeping the blood from dripping. She examined it, it was mostly shallow but at the end, it went slightly deeper where the tip of the blade went into her finger.

Hannibal had watched her suck on the small wound, the scent of her blood was spicy and made the air thick with flavour. Even if it made her even more enticing and edible, Hannibal knew that Saskia didn't deserve that fate, not yet at least. He wasn't surprised, but perhaps a little saddened, when Saskia had put the finger in her mouth, causing the pain, and scent of her blood, to lessen.

"Here, let's get it disinfected first. This may sting." He warned her.

Hannibal carefully held her palm, holding it a certain way so her cut was unobstructed, and applied the alcohol wipe to it. Saskia flinched but otherwise didn't move, only biting her lip to prevent the hiss that wanted to go through her teeth.

"There." Hannibal said when he finished putting the tiny finger bandage on it. "You'll need to keep it on until tomorrow, then let it air out. Some of it is deep but not enough to warrant concern. Let's go back to the others before Miss Lounds says something she may regret."

They both sighed.

As soon as they had left, Miss Lounds had started on Will again. Will easily spouted back facts and debunked each remark she made. It was like a spitting fit between a wolf and a cat, one might have been domesticated but both were able to keep up with the intellect needed to outwit the other.

"Poor Abigail," Saskia mumbled. "Thank you. We'd best get that under control."

By the end of the dinner, Abigail already knew who she wanted to write her book.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia opened her eyes and just knew today would just be plain horrible.

She curled up onto herself, trying to diminish the pain. Clicking her fingers gently, Countess woke up with a yawn before realising what Saskia was doing. The dog quickly jumped off the bed and trod to the bathroom, opening the cabinet under the sink and quickly bringing the painkillers back.

She dry swallowed two pills and waited for the effects.

Blaming her birth control implant, Saskia knew she would be in pain for a bit. The damned thing was supposed to completely stop her periods, as it did, but the immense pain she had every few months just reminded her that it was there. A day or two of pain was worth it if she didn't want the little pitter patter of feet around her house just yet; the pain only occurred a few times a year and even the doctors said it wasn't a concern.

Her phone blared and she flinched from her dozing. She accepted the call with a swear.

"Are you alright? You're never late and you're late by half an hour," Jack almost demanded, his voice covered with concern.

"I'm not coming in." She said, almost mumbling into the pillow. "Even if there's a body, which there shouldn't be for another month, I'm not leaving my home."

"What? What happened?"

"You've got a wife? Does she suddenly go bitchy once a month?"

It took a moment for him to realise. "Oh, you'd better stay home. Will it be the whole week or just today?"

"Just today, Jack. I feel like I've been run over by a truck and I can barely move without pain," Saskia admitted as she slowly sucked air in. "The pain will be gone by tomorrow. If anything happens, call but I physically can't move much."

"Alright. Hope you feel better soon, Saskia,"

She hadn't gotten out of bed until the afternoon. Saskia grumbled into the sofa as the TV played quietly, laying almost completely on the hot water bottle that she laid across her lower abdomen. She gave up and tucked the water bottle into the waistband of her grey sweats, hiding it mostly by her t-shirt.

Her sling wasn't needed anymore. The staples were removed and left tiny, tiny, little dots along the length of the scar. It sat on her shoulder, just under the hollow of her collarbone and shoulder attaching together. It was two inches long and not very thick, but still pink due to the healing stage,

She swung open the front door with a glare. Hannibal stood there, almost smiley but it faltered as he took in her tired appearance. Her hair was tossed into a bun so it would be out of her way.

"Did I wake you?"

"No,"

"Why are you still in your sleep wear?"

"I called in sick for a reason," Saskia scowled as she lifted the edge of her top to show the water bottle before grunting softly when a jolt of hot pain went through her. "I told Jack that I wasn't coming in even if he needed me. I can barely fucking stand."

"Go sit down, I brought lunch," He lifted the small bag he held up. "Are you in this much pain every month?"

"No, it's the birth control I use. Every few months, it hurts alot to even move around for a day or two," Saskia almost waddled to the island, muttering as Hannibal softly chuckled. She sat down carefully and Hannibal quickly went into the kitchen to get the plates. "What did you make?"

"A simple tofu dish with sweet and sour sauce, egg fried rice and prawn crackers,"

"Hmm, tofu," Saskia hummed, her mouth already watering as Hannibal opened the food containers. "I don't have tofu often because I would gorge myself on it otherwise."

"Understandable. Tofu has been used as a meat substitute for almost two thousand years in China alone," Hannibal sat down across from Saskia after placing two plates down. He paused as he looked at her. "How have you been sleeping recently? Friend to friend, not patient to psychiatrist."

Her lips curved into a half smile. "Better. Since Samson died, I've been able to sleep well and my insomnia has almost gone completely."

"Almost?"

"I stay up late still, only because that's when I work best," Saskia picked at her tofu before speaking, half putting her weight onto an arm against the countertop. "It's not often that I go more than twenty four hours without sleep anymore. I try my best to go to sleep at one in the morning if I have to write, or it turns into four AM and I need to get up at seven."

"What's the average amount of sleep?"

"Between five and seven on a normal day, seven to nine on a good day, and three to five on a bad day,"

"At least you're sleeping better," Hannibal smiled before it dropped. "I've been meaning to ask, why did you kill Samson?"

Saskia stilled, frozen with slight fear before she shook it off. "As I said before, I didn't kill him outright. He bled out as I watched life leave his body. He deserved it. I had asked Leroy and Liam to help me because they both knew what Samson did and were willing to help me. Liam's death was his own doing, I told both of them to leave but he didn't, and then he threatened Jack and I with a gun."

"And the blood in the coffee machine?"

"I didn't know about that. It sure as hell wasn't planned but due to Liam's altered mental state, paranoia and schizophrenia I think, and maybe weed, he did it." Saskia sighed, her shoulders slumping down. "I still don't know."

Hannibal hummed approvingly. "I'm thankful that you're helping Abigail write her book. I wasn't happy with Abigail's choice of Miss Lounds at first."

"It's not like I had much choice in the beginning, now did I?" Saskia drew her eyes from her delicious tofu to Hannibal's dark maroon eyes. "I don't appreciate being manipulated."

"Nor do I." his smile was mocking and Saskia didn't like it. It was off putting and made her want to run.

"On the topic of killing people, how many have you killed? From the full conversation on that day, it sounded like you both had experience."

"Why would I tell you such a thing, Saskia?"

"Because I just admitted to being an accomplice to Samson's death," Saskia said it like it was a known fact. "You could easily testify against me and I would be put away. That, and I'm curious. You're not normal, Hannibal. I remember the dinner, I'm not stupid enough to not notice. As soon as I cut my finger, and then again when you bandaged it, you could smell the blood. It excited you."

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Your pupils dilated quite suddenly both times, and even more when you bandaged them."

Hannibal's smile unnerved her completely. She had never seen something so predatory as his grin, his all teeth and wide grin that didn't reach his eyes. Her heart pounded as fear rippled through her bloodstream, unknowing if she would be his next victim or if he was just trying to scare her into submission.

She sank into her seat a little, averting her gaze to her plate.

"I am a cannibal, Saskia,"

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

A laugh, a deep hearty laugh erupted from her chest. She clutched her stomach as it pained her but it didn't stop her laughter. She didn't know why she found it so funny. Her laughter was stifled when Hannibal gave her a dark look, making her go silent but her grin was plastered onto her face.

"You don't believe me?" He said slowly.

"No, I do!" She stuttered. "It's just… Hannibal, cannibal. It rhymes."

Saskia snorted when she tried to stifle her giggles at Hannibal's face then. It was too good to not laugh at.

Eventually, Hannibal gave in and also laughed, nodding, "I'll give you that. It does rhyme. I'm surprised that you're not repulsed by this."

"That meat you served at dinner looked a bit too good, and my step father was a chef for a time. He loved his meat so I grew up with how different meats look like. What you served didn't look right so i presumed it was foreign but i didn't realise how foreign it was." Saskia brought another bit of rice and tofu soaked in sweet and sour sauce to her mouth. "Meat is meat, no matter where it comes from. Society has said that killing each other is wrong, yet they leave people homeless and without health care? As long as it's for the good of the country, it's legal. Bullshit."

"You're quite relaxed about this. Will wasn't as relaxed as you until later on," Hannibal mumbled.

Saskia paused. "Will knows?"

"Yes, he figured it out quite a while ago. Will feeds the FBI lies that keep them from finding out that I am the Chesapeake Ripper, and I help him with his mental health and keeping him stable. He was the one who suggested that I use my sense of smell to actually find the culprit, which led us to you." He paused as he finished another mouthful. "I was a bit…reckless with one of my recent kills. Will didn't find out about my diet until then."

"Hm," Saskia finished her plate. "Thank you for the meal, Hannibal. I hope I didn't consume any of your victims just now?"

He shook his head with humour. "You did not. I would not betray your trust, as I hope you would do me the same courtesy."

"Of course. I've been meaning to ask." This caught Hannibal's attention as he lifted his chin to acknowledge her. "I want to take Abigail out some point in the upcoming week, get to know her some more and figure out her past before we begin to piece together her book. I was told that I needed to either ask you or Will to take her out of the place for a day."

"Of course. As long as you don't plan to kill her too, you can take her out."

"I've only ever killed Samson, I'll have you know, Hannibal," Saskia snorted. "It would be good for her to get out of that place. Clear her head before we delve into the depths where she fears she will be lost."

Hannibal was utterly surprised and quite pleased with how their conversation went. He did not expect her to react how she did, taking it well to finding out that he ate other human beings, who he considered pigs usually. Most, if not all, people would have been repulsed by the confession but Saskia shook it off as one of his unique traits. Will had taken it okay, not too positively or negatively. Will didn't really care as long as he was treated and had Hannibal's companionship.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Warning: Mentions of (slightly) graphic retelling of self harm, and very minor self harm.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"I'm so grateful, Sas, you don't know how grateful I am." He placed the Bratz backpack down on the island.

Silas looked hurried and rushed, probably due to the fact that his babysitter was suddenly unavailable. He needed to get to work, and with Mia gone, there was no one to look after Kenna with the winter holidays upon the schools.

"It's alright," Saskia smiled comfortingly, looking back to the young Kimmer in her living room who had found how to turn the subtitles of the TV on. "If I can help, tell me. It's kinda my fault that Mia's gone."

"What? No, you just wrote the books. You could not have known that they'd be used for such…such disgusting acts against God," Silas crossed himself before his hand clutched the rosary beads around his neck.

Saskia rubbed a hand down her other arm, trying to make the goosebumps that appeared go away. "I might be called in today, but I'll see if I can keep her away from the morgue. Probably stay in Jack's office with Countess if I do need to go down."

"I understand if you need to take her. Just keep her away from any gruesome pictures, I don't want her exposed to that side of life just yet," Saskia nodded in agreement as she watched Silas walk to his daughter and kneel before her. He then signed, "Be good for Saskia."

"Sure," Kenna signed back, smiling when her father gave her a kiss on the forehead.

Silas left Saskia's house, going to work for the day after saying his gratitude again.

"What will it be today?" Saskia sat on the sofa with Kenna, turning to her to sign. She flicked the TV to Netflix and went to the kids' account.

"No." Kenna sighed with her right hand and shook her head for each one. "No. No. No. N—wait!."

Saskia kept flicking through the shows until she landed on a show.

"W-I-N-X C-L-U-B?" Saskia signed out each letter, waiting for Kenna to confirm with a nod. "Okay. I will be at the table, doing some work. Come up to me because I will be listening to music and concentrating."

"Okay," Kenna put her thumb and pointer finger to her left shoulder before bringing the hand down to her right hip. It was the sign for queen, which meant Countess as there wasn't an American sign for countess. Saskia summoned the dog from her hiding place in the bedroom, giving her an ear rub before going for the table.

She sat down with her laptop, facing the TV to keep Kenna in her sight.

She spent a good four hours writing her findings. A folder on Leroy Harris was becoming bigger and bigger. But she only printed off what was essential before getting Kenna redressed in her winter coat and Countess into her harness.

They were in the FBI building now, just getting out of the snow and the really cold air. Kenna sat on Saskia's hip with a hand holding the girl up. Countess walked by Saskia's feet, the black vest was simple in colour and said Emotional Support Dog in white on both sides and across the back. Saskia knocked on the door before coming into Jack's office, gently dropping a folder on his desk.E"What's this?" Jack asked. "Who's that?

"His habits, and I'm babysitting her today," Saskia put her down and began to sign to tell her to sit quietly and read her book.

"She's deaf." He blinked. "I didn't know you knew Sign Language,"

"Part of my research for the books was sign languages, but I decided to not add it in,"

"We've got enough evidence to put Harris behind bars but we need to find him," Jack complained. "He's always long gone by the time we get the call. I need to know that you're actually helping us, Saskia."

She scoffed with slight disgust. "I can't believe this, Jack. I've spent the last two years helping to solve this case. I've been fucking stabbed by him. I've shown you documentations about my private past with Leroy Harris. He almost killed me, Jack. Do you really think I actually want to let him get away with this?"

"And since you've started to help, we haven't gotten anywhere,"

"We haven't gotten anywhere?" Saskia almost leered in distant. "I was able to confirm that Leroy Harris was the one killing everyone. His fingerprints on the blade that he stabbed me with is enough evidence for him to be locked away. You've just got to find him. I've done everything I can, everything I know is in the folder."

Saskia picked Kenna up while the little girl was still glued to the book.

How dare he? He made Saskia want to punch something. It was disgusting and distasteful how quickly Jack turned on her, how he almost accused her of wanting to keep Leroy free.

If anything, Saskia wanted to kill Leroy Harris herself.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Abigail uncurled her arms from around her waist, no longer as self continuous as Saskia gave her a nononce look. "Fine."

"That's what I thought," Saskia rolled her eyes. "These people don't know you, Abigail. They see you as the last victim, or the survivor. But this book will change their view, whichever way you want."

When Saskia had mentioned 'these people', she nodded outwards to the outside of the cafe they sat in. it was a not well known cafe, only seeing a few dozen customers a day but Saskia liked the secluded feeling it gave off. The people were on the ground level as the two women and dog sat on the upper level of the cafe.

"I'm not the last victim,"

"No? Who is?"

Abigail swallowed dryly, moistening her lips with her warm tea while Saskia sipped her coffee. "Marissa Schurr. We went to school together. She believed me when I said I didn't have anything to do with my dad's actions."

"Didn't Will say something about her being killed by the CopyCat, as was Cassie Boyle I believe?"

"I still blame my dad," Abigail flicked the hair bobble on her wrist, flinching.

Saskia grabbed her wrist suddenly, taking the hair bobble off of her wrist and replacing it with the scrunchie that had held Saskia's hair up. "Here. Equal pain, less damage. You don't need to get into that habit of harming yourself."

"I know this might be a personal question," Abigail began by snapping the navy scrunchie against her wrist, satisfied by the snapping sound. "But have you ever self harmed? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Saskia opened her mouth but closed it, thinking over her words carefully. "There was a time where I did self harm. It went from shallow and small to deeper and more often. I always kept them shallow enough to not need stitches, or leave a scar. Even if I was harming myself, I was still vain. It got to a point where I had one whole thigh covered in them in a single session.

"It took me a while, and losing several friends to get me out of the toxic mindset I was in. I am so glad that I detached myself from those friends. It took me a few months of being clean before I did it again, and I made myself promise that if I did it, I needed to wait until they healed to do more. That promise told me that I didn't need to do it to release my bad emotions.

"Those friends weren't good for me. Sure, we had similarities but they romanticised mental illness. Saying that they had this and that, but they never got diagnosed nor sought help."

"Is that why you see Doctor Bloom?"

"Kinda. I'm a civilian profiler for the Miscreant Killer case. I see the bodies whenever they come in, and since I got stabbed, Jack prefers me to be careful with my mental health."

"I read somewhere that your ex got killed and his body left at your house, is that true?"

"Yes. Samson was killed. I called it in. that's actually the first time i met Hannibal and Will,"

"The first time I met Will, he shot my dad. I didn't meet Hannibal until after I woke up from my coma," She fiddled with the hem of her sleeve instead of the scrunchie.

"At least our relationships with them have improved, wouldn't you think?" Saskia prompted.

"Yeah, they have," Abigail's smile was so subtle and soft, Saskia was just able to see it. "They've kinda turned into my father figures, especially since mine is actually dead."

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

She nodded. "It's, it's a good thing. My dad was a bit strange, especially since I had started to look for colleges."

"How's that coming along?"

"Not well, especially since the families of the victims filed wrongful deaths so, even if I sell the house, I don't get any of it," Abigail frowned. "At least with the book, I'd get a good proportion of it."

"Dear, you will get all of it, excluding expenses like advertising and printing," Saskia said, taking a sip. "I don't need the money. After my dad died, as his only child, I got everything of his. Including this little cottage in the forest where he owned the land along with some of the forest."

"When did he die?"

"In action. He was in the army and got badly shot, killed instantly. I was in a lecture when I got the call, I was his Next of Kin. The professor was not happy when I took the call, but I put a note on their desk and ran out of the lecture hall," It wasn't her proudest moment but it got the urgent meaning across. "It took me a whole month to get to Lithuania, sort his funeral, and everything else. It took me longer to get back to normal in England."

"Didn't anyone help you?"

"My uncle did but I got the final decision,"

"I was still in my coma when my mom and dad were buried, I still haven't brought myself to visit them,"

"Reasonable. I can only bring myself to visit whenever I've had something bad happen."

And they spoke for a few more hours. Saskia had a notepad and jotted everything down that seemed important, certain emotions, experiences, wants, needs, desires.

Abigail had the desire to become a veterinarian, or something that worked with wild animals.

There was a fox.

It was beautiful, a brilliant orange with a dark belly and paws. The eyes rivaled emeralds as it perked up, looking at Saskia fully as it drew back its lips in a silent laugh. The fox walked forward, no sound, silent towards them. It was less than a few feet away and Saskia had the impulse to touch it, to feel how soft the fur was, how silky, how good, how forbidden.

"Saskia?"

She blinked.

It was gone.

"Sorry, I dozed off a little," Saskia recovered, smiling in comfort. "My sleep hasn't been the best recently."

"Do you want to head back then?"

"Sure."

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Countess started to whimper and whine before they even got to the steps of the porch. Saskis ignored it, whipping her feet against the mat

"Hannibal, I'm with Saskia. I think she's in shock or something," Abigail said into her phone after Hannibal picked up. "Countess is whimpering and trying to get her out of it. It's kinda working. There's—There's a body on the couch. Another victim of that killer Saskia and Will are trying to get. I don't kn—"

Abigail flinched when something crashed loudly and Saskia yelled out in pain, "FUCK'S SAKE!"

"—And now she just punched the bookcase. Her hand is bleeding."

"I swear I will find him myself!" Saskia swore as she flicked her hand to get the blood off before she unlocked her phone and called a number. "Jack, he's been in my house. Left a little gift for me to find. There's the nineteenth victim on my couch."

"How'd he get in?"

"I don't know. I've got my door deadbolted, both front and back. And windows are locked. I've got cameras installed anyway, so you can check 'em. I've got Abigail with me, and she called Hannibal so he might be here soon."

"I'll get the team, Will's already at the FBI academy. I'll call the local police to keep the scene," Jack said.

"Alright, thanks," Saskia said back before hanging. She swore again as her knuckles and palm ached, the knuckles had small shards of glass in it and her nails had pierced her palm again.

Hannibal's navy Bentley Arnage showed up within minutes of ending the call. The man quickly got out and up the stairs to the porch.

Saskia hid the aching hand in her coat pocket as he asked, "Are you two alright?"

"We're fi—" Saskia tried to say but Abigail interrupted.

"Saskia punched the bookcase and shattered the glass," Abigail nodded to the pocket. "She's bleeding."

"I'm fine," Saskia tried and sighed when Hannibal gestured for her hand. He took it in his hands and gently pressed some of the knuckles, careful to miss the glass shards. "It's a flesh wound."

"You've got glass in your hand, and you've also taken off a nail, and bent your natural nail back a little," Hannibal concluded with a stern look when she tried to shrug it off. "The police will be here soon, I would think. I'll ask one of them to take Abigail back to Port Haven."

"But—"

"Abigail," He paused for emphasis and the fight in Abigail shrinked. "Saskia, keep the hand elevated above your heart while the ambulance gets here."

Abigail was not happy about being sent back to Port Haven, wanting to fight Hannibal on the matter. But a single dark look from Hannibal made Abigail almost squeak and sink into the back seat of the cop car with a sulk. She knew that she couldn't debate with Hannibal when there was blood around, even if it wasn't caused by them.

Abigail was quite surprised by how calm Saskia was, even she had been unsettled by the bloody scene. The young woman was dropped off at Port Haven without a fuss.

"Why did you try to hide your injury, Saskia?" Hannibal asked again.

Saskia tried to flex her hand, twisting and rotating her wrist as she could hear the bones pop and grind. "Thought I could have had it wrapped later."

"You could get an infection,"

She shrugged. "Ain't the worst thing I've done."

He sighed in disapproval. She was being stubborn and resentful, mostly due to the fact that she was utterly seething and terrified underneath her mask.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"I will not be going into Witness Protection, Jack," Saskia crossed her arms even with her bandaged hand. "I've spent the last few years hiding my identity from the public. I will not be hiding again."

"Saskia, you're in danger," Jack tried to reason as he, Will, and Hannibal stood near her, just out of earshot to everyone working in the house. "He has gotten into your house twice now. He's left two dead bodies. He walked around your house without a thought to the cameras."

"So? I can stay at a hotel,"

"You live alone, albeit with Countess, but you're still alone," Will stated, his eyes unwavering from hers. "You're by yourself all the time. If he came into your hotel room and tried to attack you, and succeed, no one would know until someone comes for you and within that time you could be dead. Dead, Saskia, he could kill you within that time, and none of us want to find your body as the twenty first body. He'd leave you for last, perhaps torturing you. What he did to the others will be child's play compared to what he would do to you."

"If I go into Witness Protection, my identity will be taken. I doubt I'd be allowed to take Countess, even if she's a working animal. This place is my home. I don't want to leave it, dammit!" Saskia snarled. "I was on the run with Samson, I will not allow Leroy the same privilege of the hunt!"

"Saskia, you're being unreasonable. You could be—"

"Do you want to abandon the life you have right now? Leave everyone you know and be forced to live a fucking lie for the rest of your life?" They paused, unsure of how to continue as Saskia had almost screamed at them. "Give me a better option and I'll reconsider."

Everyone was silent as Saskia strutted away to sit on the bench on the porch. Countess laid her head on her lap, allowing the woman to weave her fingers into the dark fur. Saskia wiped a few tears that dared to fall, easily resuming her calm facade as she blankly stared ahead of her.

The three men, or rather, Will and Jack, argued about what to do with Saskia. It was like watching two cats spitting at each other. Unlike Will who was calm and relaxed, Jack was wound up and ready to assert his dominance over the group. Saskia wasn't the only one finding it good entertainment, Hannibsl just watched them argue before putting in his argument. Of course, it was the sanest one and had won Jack's and Will's approval.

Saskia went back into her house, storming upstairs to get her emergency bag. She always had one now, especially since Samson was stalking her. It had some necessities and would last ehr the week until she went back to get more later on.

She was just able to keep a straight face as Jack's jaw dropped a little, while Will just scoffed in disbelievement and turned to Hannibal, almost not believing what she was bringing.

"What?" Saskia grinned after a moment. Her weighted blanket was thrown over her shoulder as she walked down to them. "I ain't going anywhere without this blanket. Countess hates being without it."

Hannibal helped put both bag and blanket into the trunk of his car, helping Saskia into the passenger seat as Countess lounged behind her. He said goodbye to the men before getting in, driving away back to his home.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"I needn't say that the basement is off limits," Hannibal raised an eyebrow.

They had gotten back to his house by half four, and now they were just in the kitchen. Saskia causally sat in the seat in the corner of the room, watching Hannibal prepare a simple meal. Countess napped on the floor, sprawled out like nobody's business.

Saskia didn't have an appetite by the time dinner came around, having lost it after finding the body.

"Is that the place where you cut 'em up before dishing 'em?" Saskia grinned but it faltered a little as Hannibal stayed serious. "Kinda want to stay alive, so I'll stay clear of there."

"Good, I hope I don't have to remind you," Hannibal smiled half heartedly as he cut up the lettuce smoothly.

"So, I was thinking of getting a gun," Saskia said offhandedly. "What do you think?"

"I would suggest you ask Will on the matter," Saskia curled up a bit more on the chair, picking her feet up. "Would it help settle your mind if you had one?"

"I would hope so, yeah," She sighed. "That's twice he left a little present. Samson wasn't done at my house and I'm still confused on how Liam got into my room. He seemed loopy."

"Loopy?" Hannibal paused in his cutting. "How so?"

She shrugged, bringing her knees up to her chest a little tighter as she looked at him. "High, I guess. He's never done drugs in his life, something he was proud of."

"Have you done drugs before?" Hannibal raised an eyebrow when Saskia gave him a look.

"I've done weed, nothing too dangerous," She gestured to her nose. "Kinda wanted to keep my nose intact and I'm not a fan of needles so Cocaine and Heroin were out of the question."

"Hmm. Would you like a beer?" Hannibal gestured, going for the wine for himself. He poured a glass before opening a bottle of beer. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Saskia took it with her good hand.

"What happened to make you not like wine?" He sipped on his own glass as Saskia took a swig back.

Saskia sighed a little in remembrance. "A few years ago, I was at a pub with some friends for New Years and we were sharing a few bottles. Someone drank too much and came over, being a bit creepy. We decided to leave but they didn't like it, took the bottle and broke it. One of the guys a few tables over, an army man, tackled them and we were escorted to a different area of the pub. Free shots so the night wasn't ruined."

"I remember you don't like champagne either,"

"God no," She grimaced. "Horrible. I don't know why but I just can't stand it, or sparkling water. It makes my tongue go funny and I can't taste anything but that for a while."

"Probably a psychological hatred,"

"I think of fish and I want to vomit. My step dad always said that my hatred of fish was all in my head, I used to eat it as a kid no problem. As soon as I turned about ten, I couldn't eat it unless it was tuna. And later on, I hated tuna too."

"And becoming vegetarian? Was that the same?"

"No, pure spite and wanted to piss my mother off." Saskia considered herself for a moment, shaking her head. "Not like it wasnt hard. Call her mother instead of mum and she's angrier than a rabid badger."

A rabid badger that needed to be put down before it ripped someone's head off, or worse, got killed for attacking.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia had her elbows propped up on the table, hands fidgeting with a telephone wire hair bobble. She was fascinated by the way the light changed the dark glittery blue that matched her new nails so well. She turned it this way, twisted it that way, but it always resumed its perfect circle if she placed it on the table.

"These appointments are getting very repetitive, Alana," Saskia said, drooping the hair tie. She tapped her nails against the table impatiently. "It's getting boring, and I don't like boring."

"I know," She sighed too before shifting in her seat a little. "Jack said you were interested in getting a gun. Why?"

Saskia scoffed. "Leroy Harris has stabbed me, and has gotten into my deadbolted house. I don't really know where I'll see a glance of him. I'd like some protection, even if I'm mostly against gun ownership."

"So you want a gun to kill him?"

"God no!" Saskia quietened as she began to hug herself a little, faking great fear and vulnerability. "With the notes, my past with him, and him actually stabbing me, I fear he will try to actually kill me again. I don't want to die."

"How close are you to getting Harris?"

"All we need is him in cuffs and he'll be behind bars for quite a few lifetimes,"

"And gun ownership? You said you're against it, what do you mean?"

"When i was younger and still in England, all I heard was about how people could get their hands on a gun easily and without any sort of regulations on them. I'm all for protecting yourself but owning more than a gun per person is a bit stupid, unless for hunting and shit like that. I've already checked an application for a gun, spoke to Will about it, and Jack. They've said it could help keep me safe. Hannibal said it's fine to have it in his house, but he would prefer that you state if you think I'm stable enough. His words, not mine. "

"From a professional standpoint, I can not see a reason for you to not get a gun if you want. But as a friend, I'm concerned that a gun is a bit extreme."

"I know. But I want to be safe while I'm out and about. Jack was tempted to put me in witness protection but Hannibal convinced him otherwise. I like it here. I don't want to leave."

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"Spread your feet a little more to get a better balance," Will said, gently kicking her feet to stand shoulder width apart.

After getting her gun license and license for concealed carry, Saskia now stood in Wolf Trap, Virginia, half a mile from Will's House. Even if she had passed her psyche evaluation and was deemed fit by Alana Bloom, Saskia had yet to go through any training on how to use a gun.

Since it was getting to the beginning of November, the snow was getting there. Saskia wore simple jeans with jumper boots and a leather jacket. Will wore something similar but his was dressed up by a shirt tucked into his jeans and a thin scarf. The yellow glasses made her vision go funny but she could see, it would distort the flash of the gun, and earmuffs distorted the sound.

"Try to hit the cans,"

The cans in question were several metres away, perched on a fallen tree. Several were lined up, neatly done as she tried to shoot them off.

She centred herself, relaxing her grip a little as she held the gun with two hands. She shot it, the recoil almost shocking her because her grip was too loose. She tried again with a firmer grip but looser elbows, letting herself take a breath before pressing the trigger once more.

"Well, that's shit," She said.

She missed the first.

"Try to prepare yourself for the recoil, making sure it lands more on your other shoulder. Your left one will be stiffer so guide with your right but fall back on the left," Will pointed out.

She nodded, adjusting herself before rolling her shoulders a little. Exhaling, she lifted the gun and pointed.

That was better!

The bullet hit the metal can, knocking it away. She tried it again, a little bit closer, and again, a bit too far to one side. After she was able to keep the bullets hitting the cans, Will had her empty the magazine before telling her to try it with one hand.

"You won't always have access to both your hands, or time to properly aim with both," Will said.

"True," She shrugged after taking her finger off the trigger, changing her stance to stand side on to the metal cans. "If you have access to both hands, use one with the gun, and the other to grab them. That is, if the target is close range."

"Why would you grab them if you can just shoot them?"

"There is a certain satisfaction with watching someone die,"

"That is something I understand greatly,"

"A gun is impersonal." Saskia swapped hands, letting her gun stay in her left hand as she aimed again. "It's the result of a group of events that allows the bullet to hit your target and let them die, they don't always die though. There's just something about knowing they'll die by your hands instead of a gun. While I let Leroy and Liam injure and hurt Samson, I watched as he bled out. I stabbed him in the jugular and watched as the lights in his eyes faded."

"Was it worth it?"

"Yes," Saskia smiled softly, still shooting at the cans and carefully adjusting when the recoil set her back. "After two years of mental and physical abuse from him, I got my revenge. There was something about it that just made me feel free."

Will nodded in agreement.

After an hour or so, and emptying two more magazines, Will decided that Saskia was a decent enough shot to hit anything if she wanted to.

Within moments of getting into the warm, fireplace lit house, Saskia took her boots and jacket off before succumbing to the group of rowdy dogs. She sat on the floor, her back against a soft chair while Countess sat behind her. Two of the bigger dogs, a Burmese Mountain Dog named Zeus, and a scruffy Maltese named Kander, took the spaces between her arms, making sure that they snuggled into her waist. The Jack Russel named

Spike, the goofy Pitbull, couldn't help but make her lift a leg so he laid under one of her knees. The grumpy German Shepherd, Diesel, was laying over her thighs, showing his stomach and not letting her forget her duty to give him belly rubs. An energetic pug named Pip wouldn't stop kicking as he tried to sit into her lap, but since Diesel was in the way, he decided to jump onto the chair and snuggled into her neck.

Winston looked at Countess, blinking before Countess huffed, moving a little until there was enough room. He jumped up and laid, letting Countess' larger form to consume him. They both sneezed at each other and then into Saskia's hair.

"Thanks for that,"

"You all look cozy," Will said, giving Winston an ear rub after handing Saskia a cup of fresh coffee.

She hummed as she sipped it. "Aren't you glad that I taught you how to make proper coffee?"

"It doesn't taste burnt anymore,"

"Milk, or creamer or whatever, first, the boiled water allowed it to stop boiling, and then sweeteners or sugar," Saskia relished in the warmth that the dogs and coffee gave. "It's the only way I can drink instant coffee. Instant coffee should always be branded, and coffee beans taken from fair trade brands."

"And water, not blood in a coffee machine," Will said, smiling into his cup as Saskia snorted a laugh.

"It wasn't that bad. Just the shock of finding blood in it. The machine cost a thousand dollars to replace. Let's just say, I was not happy."

"Why would you spend that much on a coffee machine? It's a ridiculous price, Saskia."

"You get the brand, because it's branded, it costs more, but De'Longhi is worth it. It goes straight from coffee beans to your coffee cup within a minute. It also cleans itself. It's a good investment for long term use."

"You love your coffee, that's for sure,"

"Coffee spelled back words is eeffoc," She smiled. "Let's just say I don't give eef-foc until I get my coffee."

The dogs groaned at the bad joke.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia froze as the front door slammed open and then shut. Hannibal had just come back from work, and he was angry. She didn't even need to see him to know that, something in her told her to be meek and quiet, lest anger the beast.

He swiftly walked from the foyer where he put his coat away, through the living room where Saskia had been sitting and completely ignored her, and went straight to the kitchen. The fridge door opened and Saskia took this as her cue.

She quickly got upstairs without making a sound, something she had learned in her teens, and closed the door to her room.

This wasn't the first time in her life she had done something like this. Whenever her mother was in a bad mood, Saskia was always the verbal punching bag. Quickly learning how to survive the verbal abuse, Saskia knew how to avoid becoming a target. And with Samson, physical abuse was a very real thing.

And hiding away was always first on her to-do list.

She spent an hour quietly sitting on her bed, typing away at her laptop. It was an easy task and wouldn't bring any attention back to her. She kept her music low so she could hear any footsteps but there were none for the hour and a bit.

There was a knock at her door.

"Come in." She said, not raising her voice unneededly. Hannibal stepped into the room, quickly taking in the two females in the bed and the freakishly clean bedroom.

There was not a piece of clothing in sight, nor any hint of shoes, or book out of place. And Saskia always had at least two books opened on the side table, and five little notebooks all over the floor. And Countess was

This was another thing she did. Being an extremely messy teenager, her mother used to always target that as a main point of disappointment. Saskia took to making the room seem like no one used it as the best way to minimise the fall out rate.

"Hi," Saskia said. She was kinda scared to ask how his day was. His posture was still slightly rigid, but not as hostile as it was before.

"I was wondering what you would like for dinner,"

"Um, you can decide," Saskia smiled, hoping it came off as normal instead of slightly insecure. "I'm not hungry so I'll have a snack later if that's alright with you?"

Another.

By making the other person think they were in charge, it gave them a slight rush of dominance and gave them a choice. It helped to keep the unneeded negative attention off of her.

"That's fine," Hannibal said blankly. "Will will be joining us in two hours, I hope that is acceptable?"

"Of course," She nodded before going back to typing. Hannibal left the room without a word, easily closing the door silently.

She came down an hour and a half later, her throat had been bugging her for a while but she had put off getting a drink for half an hour already. Hannibal was making dinner in the kitchen, a curry type dish Saskia thought, it smelt very good and it just reminded her that she hadn't eaten much that day.

She went to the fridge to get a bottle of water and an apple for later.

Saskia flinched when Hannibal shut a cupboard a bit too harshly, quickly cringing into herself as she raised her shoulders to hunch them. She didn't let the fridge close by itself, gently closing it with her hand. She kept her pace steady but fast as she went for the kitchen door, already knowing Hannibal had begun to cut up some chillies.

Hannibal paused the knife, taking a breath through his nose and almost immediately stopped. The air was spicy but it wasn't from the chillies, it was too much. The wrong spices mixed in to create a disgusting smell that made his nose cringe. And it wasn't from the curry.

"Saskia," He began, knowing straight away that she was the cause. But the smell thickened as he said her name and she paused. "You're scared."

She turned around. "I'm not scared. What's there to be scared about, Hannibal?"

"You know I detest lying for no good reason," He rounded the island and came to stand before her, leaving metre or two between them. He watched as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"I'm not lying," She smiled with a confused tone.

"Your type of 'fine' is not the same as mine. And by my standard of 'fine', you are not even okay," He stepped forward and the spicy spiked. "But you're scared of something. Scared of loud noises?" She shook her head, mouthing no, "The thunder?"

"I love rain and thunder," She said.

"Then what, Saskia? You're not a scared person. You don't get scared unless it's under certain circumstances. So tell me and we can sort out whatever is making you scared."

"It's, uh," She stuttered a little, unsure of how to start. "You came back angry and went straight for the wine. My, umm, mother used to… used to do that when she was in a bad mood."

"I do admit I was in a foul mood when I finished work. But why would that scare you?"

"It reminds me of my mother," Saskia fiddled with one of her sleeves, getting more and more aggressive with the twisting and tugs. "Whenever she came home annoyed or angry, I always hid."

"And that's why you went to your room when I came in. Were you scared I would react like your mother?"

"No," Her voice an octave too high. "It was…umm… Samson used to come home angry, or mad, or just pissed off, and he used to go all quiet. It was the quiet before the storm that always got me anxious." She absently scratched her cheek, right where the invisible scar was. "He used to be quiet before beginning to slam stuff, and if I was in his way at all, in his sight, or hearing range, or in the house at all, he'd start to yell before getting aggressive. First, it was cupboards, drawers, and doors, and soon enough I was against the wall with him yelling at me."

She didn't like recounting what Samson used to do to her. It made her feel weak, and she hated being weak.

Without her permission, tears welled up and slowly dripped. She wiped at them with a sniffle, trying to blink them away.

"I may be a cannibal, Saskia, but I am not Samson. I do not like to yell. I find it if something is worth getting angry over, it should be discussed civilly," Hannibal brought his hand to rest one on her cheek, gently wiping away the dripping tears. "I will not put my hands on you unless something warrants the need. Even with your knowledge, you haven't done anything to earn my anger or disappointment. You've been a good girl."

Good girl.

She shivered.

Those two words struck a sour chord in Saskia. Without thinking, her tears stopped and her anxiety disappeared, replaced by barely hidden anger and rage.

Even Hannibal saw the physical change Saskia went through when he said those words. He decided to see how far she would go. "Such a good girl."

Good girl?

His condescending smile sent her off into seeing red and dropping both water bottle and apple.

Saskia grabbed the hand that held her cheek, snatching it away from her face with a snarl. She hurled her palm towards his face but he easily shoved it out of the way. While she held one of his wrists, he took the offending hand and drew it across her torso so she either had to let go of him or be stuck.

She released him as she stepped forward, wanting to headbutt him. He stepped around her, forcing her arm across her torso before he stood behind her with one of her arms pinned to her left hip while her left arm was free. Drawing it forward, she sent her elbow into Hannibal's side but he didn't react much besides a stiff groan and an intake of breath. When she tried again, he caught her left wrist with his other hand, and held it to her right hip and keeping it there as she struggled with a snarl.

"Don't call me that!" She almost yelled, her voice full of untapped anger. "Let me go already!"

"Don't call you what?" Hannibal said, his mouth near the shell of her ear as she tried to get his hands off of her wrists. "Good girl?"

She didn't care that she was barefoot, she stepped as hard as she could onto his foot. Twisting her hands so she also held his as he held hers, she dug her nails into them and jutted her arms up as she jolted her back into his chest. With that move, she tried to headbutt him again and succeeded when he groaned again.

He was just able to keep her in his grip as she thrashed.

"Do I need to leave you two alone?" Will's voice was teasing as he stood by the doorway, half leaning on it as Countess and he watched the two.

Saskia calmed her posture but she was seething inside.

"Will," Hannibal greeted as he unwrapped his arms from Saskia.

Her instincts moved faster than her mind was allowed to comprehend them. Within a single breath, she shifted her feet and used the grace that the fox she had once seen to twist around. Her lip curled up into a beastly scowl as she lifted her hand as she turned.

She didn't need to think. She knew this was right, what she needed to do to show her grief and disappointment.

Hannibal began, "You're just in—"

SLAP

His face jerked to the side as Saskia stepped away. Hannibal felt a trickle of blood from his nose, the headbutt and slap had caused a nosebleed but it stopped soon after.

He felt a pulse of anger but he knew he deserved it. There was something attractive with the way she handled herself, her eyes full of undiluted hellfire as she pulled her lips back in challenge.

It made him want to challenge her even more, see where her limit was before she submitted, either by death or obedience.

"Next time," She snarled with gritted teeth and strong, unwavering glare. "It will be much worse."

Saskia stormed away, going to the front door before stuffing her feet into boots and pulling her coat on.

"I've got my gun!" She yelled before slamming the front door closed, stalking off for a walk.

She needed to clear her head. It was full of bad memories that wanted to resurface and make her recollect them with irregular accuracy. She needed to walk, to calm down before she hurt someone, mostly Hannibal, or permanently damaged something, the wall.

She was fuming.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"Here," Will walked to Hannibal with a handkerchief, quickly wiping the minimal blood off of his face. "What was that all about?"

"Merely an experiment,"

Will sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What did you do to get that reaction from her?"

"We spoke about why she was scared. I came back angry because Jack was trying to accuse Abigail of helping her father, and somehow Saskia could tell that I was angry. Past experiences with her family and Samson, I presume. She avoided me until a few minutes ago, where I confronted her on why she was scared. I tried to comfort her and it worked until I said Good Girl."

"And?" Will prompted, knowing that Hannibal had done more than just that.

"I could tell that she was becoming angry," Hannibal said as he began to pull plates and bowls out for the finished curry, "Uncontrollably and completely instinctually angry."

"And you decided to push her limits, see how far she could become like us," Will said, helping Hannibal with the knives and forks. "You need to be careful, Hannibal. She isn't like you or I. She's a survivor, her first instincts are to survive, and if that means hurting or maiming, or telling the truth, she will do it."

"She has another side,"

"Yes. But it is two sides of the same coin. Me? I don't care about the morals of killing anymore, you've corrupted me in that way," Will said as he watched Hannibal smile at that. "You were corrupted at a young age but you quickly took control of yourself. You kill because they are not on your level, not on our level. Survival of the fittest and all that.

"But Saskia? Instead of taking what the schools and society gave her, she morphed her own set of morals that she tries to pass off as normal. She has never been corrupted, she just is. She hides them, faking it till she makes it. She said that a gun is impersonal and if you're gonna kill someone, there is no better satisfaction than feeling their pulse slowly deplete their bodies of blood."

"She's an actress," Hannibal nodded.

"A brilliant one," Will agreed. "She has everyone at the FBI fooled. Even Alana."

"It is not like it's that difficult." Hannibal took a sip of his glass. "We both have done it now."

Will smiled. "A few omissions here or there is keeping us both safe. I don't want to lose you to stand behind glass. The dogs are good snugglers, but you are much better. I'm surprised by how much the dogs like Saskia, they didn't like you at first."

Countess huffed as she pawed his leg, getting a piece of juicy meat from Will and a disapproving look from Hannibal.

It was a meaty bit of thigh.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

The satisfaction she got from seeing the red mark on Hannibal's face was an unspeakable amount. It was bright and slightly raised with tiny indents where her nails caught his skin. It would be healed by tomorrow, but knowing she put it there made her anger simmer down.

"Not sorry," She said as she sat at the island, picking at her vegetable curry aggressively. "Will do it again if necessary to get the message through."

"What was that about anyway?" Will asked as he helped Hannibal wash and dry the dishes, placing them away into their respective cupboards.

"I hate being called a good girl," Saskia stabbed at a potato. "Especially after I've been scared or crying."

"Was it Leroy or Samson?" Hannibal asked.

"Both but many Samson. A year into our relationship, he became physical with me. And a few months after, alcohol just made him worse and his temper was even quicker than mine. Every time I left and came back, he would call me a good girl and say how much he loved me. But after all that, he still threw me into walls.

"It was nearing the end of our relationship, and I was fighting back, leaving more often but still coming back. He 'punished' me for leaving him and hitting him," Saskia swallowed dryly. "He always tried to comfort me afterwards, always calling me a good girl when I did something he liked. I react badly when someone calls me that now. And you knew, Hannibal, that I reacted to it but you still pushed. So no, I am not sorry and I will never be sorry for how I reacted."

"Good."

She was confused about why he was saying that it was good that she wasn't sorry, but she didn't push it even if she wanted to. There was something about the tone he used that made her hesitate, so she narrowed her eyes before finishing her meal and retreating back to her room to finish the chapter.

There was just something beastly and savage about her raw anger, something Will and Hannibal found fascinating. It hit a little too close to home.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

A well dressed woman stood outside the door, her blonde hair pinned up and out of her face as she clutched a bag to her side. She had a pair of impeccable heels but Saskia noticed not much else.

"You must be Saskia," The woman said, inclining her head as Saskia came into view.

She blinked, leaning against the door. "What do you want?"

"Can I come in?" The woman gestured inwards.

"Who are you?"

"Bedelia Du Maurier,"

"Huh, Hannibal's psychiatrist," Saskia stated, letting the woman in with a nod. "Get in. The warm air is escaping. Coffee?"

"Please,"

Saskia began the painstakingly long task of making coffee Hannibal's way, grinding the coffee beans by hand before filtering it.

Bedelia Du Maurie glanced around the kitchen as Saskia began making coffee. The woman in front of her wore just a simple jumper dress that reached her mid thighs with thigh high stockings in a dark shade of grey. Hair tousled like she just woke up, which she probably just did, Bedelia concluded as Saskia yawned.

"Thank you," She said as Saskia passed a cup over.

"Why are you here? You should know that Hannibal is at work," Saskia asked, sipping at her own. "What do you want?"

"I know, I visited him at work today." Bedelia cleared her throat, almost uncomfortable with her next words. "I'm no longer Hannibal's psychiatrist,"

"And?" She prompted with a nose scrunch. "That is between you and him. It doesn't explain why you're here with me when you fully know Hannibal isn't here."

"Long story short, I believe with how Hannibal speaks about you, it is dangerous for you to continue living with him,"

"You think I'm living here by choice?" Saskia scoffed. "It's here or in Witness Protection. Hannibal is a fantastic host and everything but I miss my home, but I don't fancy living in my home where a serial killer has broken into twice. I appreciate the concern, but it isn't needed."

"Hannibal is a manipulator. I don't believe he would ever force anyone, but he could manipulate you into something you don't want to do,"

"I was brought up with an abusive mother, and my father wasn't in the picture often. My ex-boyfriend was physically abusive to me, and the other tried to kill me and is actively trying to mimic my work by killing people," Saskia rolled her eyes. "When I say I know when I'm being manipulated, I know. I will never be manipulated into doing anything I don't want to, not anymore."

"You may be used to being manipulated by the men in your life, but Hannibal isn't normal," She said with a twinge of fear. "There's something that even unsettles me."

"I've got Masters in Psychology, and Sociology. I may have given up doing a Doctorate but it doesn't mean I don't know my stuff. So thank you, your advice is noted, and ignored."

Bedelia Du Maurie simply ended their exchange at the door with "Good luck then."

As if Saskia needed good luck to get along with Hannibal Lector. She just needed to be wary but otherwise, she would be fine.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

She sat before the fireplace, her weighted blanket heavy against her knees as she was tapping away at her tablet. She had curled up on one end while Countess took up the rest of the couch, even going to certain lengths, read whining until she got her way, to have the weighted blanket thrown slightly over her back.

With each beat of the music, she tapped her feet but didn't miss a single letter or punctuation as she mouthed certain words. When she couldn't mouth them due to a complicated sentence she had to figure the wording of, she swayed her head in beat to keep her concentration and not lose her motivations.

"Mädchen von Haithabu?" Hannibal said as he looked at her phone screen after pausing the music. "I didn't know that you knew German,"

"I've got cousins in Germany, used to visit them when I was in my mid-teens, and I took German in school, and failed it," Saskia took out an earphone as she looked at Hannibal, already undoing the cufflinks on his shirt sleeves. "What's up?"

"It is midnight. What are you doing that would prevent you from going to sleep?"

"Writing."

"Writing what exactly?"

"Finishing up the tenth chapter of Abigail's book."

"How many are there in total?"

"I've predicted about seventeen short ones or thirteen long ones, depending on how Abigail wants the narrative to make her sound," Saskia wrinkled her nose as the fire crackled, spitting too much ash into the air. "I need another half hour before I finish writing and then I can edit another day."

"Alright. Good night."

"Night!"

Three hours later, Saskia was still on the couch. She curled the blanket around her some more because the fire had died down. Her music still blasted through her headphones, now it was rock music with a heavy beat and strong bass.

Abruptly, Hannibal turned the music off. "It's almost three am. Bed."

"But I've almost finished the chapter," Saskia whined. "I only need another half hour."

Hannibal didn't look convinced. "Last time you said that you didn't go to sleep until the next night."

She hesitated to say, "And?"

"You have to be up by seven tomorrow morning, and you'll only be getting four hours of sleep already," Hannibal countered. "I'll leave the coffee out before I leave tomorrow, but both of you bed."

"Fine," Saskia grumbled as she scrunched the weighted blanket over her shoulder. She pouted as she walked upstairs, completely planning to write some more when she goes upstairs.

"And I will turn the WiFi off, so don't even try and write some more. You need your sleep."

"Fine! Okay! Going to bed to sleep!"

After a few minutes of pouting, Saskia got into bed and grumbled once more about Hannibal breaking her writing flow, before falling silent.

Hannibal sighed, turning the WiFi back on as he knew she would at least try it. He didn't expect anything else of her. What he didn't expect was finding her in the kitchen an hour later.

A hand at the small of her back made her jump.

"Shit giggle!" She yelped quietly. He chuckled at this outburst. "Don't do that!"

When she turned around, her scowl was replaced by a sheepish grin. She had Bluetoothed her mobile data to her laptop before realising that the WiFi was working.

Hannibal held a disapproving look in his eyes, an eyebrow raised as if to ask her a silent question.

She knew she was caught.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting a glass of water?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

"Telling,"

"You need to be in bed, Saskia," Hannibal plucked the earphones out of her ears before handing her the glass of water. "Third night in a row you've stayed up late, you'll make yourself sick."

"No, I won't," She quickly drank the water before refilling it again and finishing that too.

"Unless you want me to put sleeping pills in your food tomorrow, I suggest going to bed and getting a few hours of sleep," He said, raising an eyebrow as she tried to argue. She shut her mouth before nodding.

"Fine," Saskia placed the glass into the dishwasher before picking up her phone and headphones.

"And actually go to sleep."

Saskia didn't reply besides a dismissive wave over her shoulder.

She always wore revealing outfits. It was revealing with her figure and how she liked to carry herself. Her shirt dresses were what she mostly wore when it was night time, other times she wore her fuzzy bunny pyjamas which had Thumper on the trousers.

Hannibal noticed that she hated to wear a bra, regardless of weather, because she stated they were uncomfortable and wore them when necessary, yet she wore six-inch heels without complaining.

She was a piece of work.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

AN: Hiya. I'm glad everyone is enjoying Saskia's story, (if not, tell me on how to improve!). If any of you want sneak peaks into future ideas, or want to help influence where Vixen will go with story ideas and prompts, PM me and we can chat. I love bouncing ideas around. I already have future scenes written up, I just need to link them together properly.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia was a peaceful woman…

And her fighting another woman did not change that.

She was hot, sweating, and aching, and she felt alive as she drew back her gloved fists and swung it into the opposite woman's face. She dodged before it reached her, sending a punch back to Saskia which she had to also dodge.

With a kick to her ribs, the other woman lost her breath and quickly tapped out for the moment.

"You good, Harumi?"

"Yeah," The Korean woman heaved her words out. "You've got a wicked round kick, girl. Even without shoes."

"I walked a lot as a kid, and then did Karate for two years. My round kicks were the best but my punches needed work," Saskia said, quickly undoing the black and green gloves to reveal the black hand wraps on both her hands and wrists. They matched the ones she had around her ankles and feet. Protection.

"I doubt those claws you call nails helped," Harumi humoured, taking off her own gloves to grab a water bottle. "You still hold off with your punches, Saskia. You need to send them out fully or you'll hurt your shoulder, especially with your left one."

"I know, I know," Saskia sat on the bench with Harumi. Her hair was tightly braided into two dutch braids, while Harumi had her black hair extra short and so just gelled it back.

They both were sweating in the gym room. There were two main areas in this gym, a working out area that used machinery for strength and cardio, and a clear area where many other duos and singles were practising moves.

Countess just laid to the side of the bench, dozing off as she watched the two women.

Saskia had gone to a self-defence class a few months back and met Harumi who introduced her to cage fighting and later on, Taekwondo styled fighting. It was an amazing workout and kept Saskia toned when she spent most of her day sitting down at the table or laying in bed.

She crossed her ankles, her legs only clad in a pair of tight shorts with a plain sports bra covering her top. It was too hot to wear anything more than that, even if it was nearing the middle of November.

"Want to go again?"

"Hell yeah!"

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia swore, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Her mother and youngest sister stood at the front door.

"Don't speak to us like that!" The sister said, sneering a little as Saskia rolled her eyes.

"I will speak to you how ever I fucking like, Evelott," Saskia spat. "I'll ask again, what are you doing here? You don't visit me."

"Well, we thought it was a good time for a change, especially with everything. Leroy told us all about it. Who didn't you tell us you were Syn? Stupid name by the way," Evelott waved her hand dismissively. Saskia gritted her teeth. "We tried to go to your house but it was bordered up. What is that about? Oh…"

Hannibal came to stand by Saskia's side, a pleasant but strained smile on his lips. "Saskia, who's at the door?"

"Don't worry, they're leaving," Her glare was strong but her mother just brushed it off.

"Don't be rude, introduce us,"

"Rude?" Saskia ran her tongue against her teeth before gritting them into a fake smile for her mother. "Rude is when you come to supposedly 'visit' me when you know I don't like visits. It's been almost seven years since I went travelling and the only time I came back was when I was getting all my stuff for America. If I wanted to contact you, I would have but I didn't. So take a hint and leave me alone."

She closed the door on them, grinding her teeth in anger until her jaw popped a little. She paced as she flexed her hands, trying to contain her anger. Countess pawed at her leg as Saskia walked into the living room area, digging her nails into her palm just a little.

"You need to take a breath before you have a panic attack," Hannibal said.

"I'm not gonna have a panic attack," Saskia retorted but he wasn't convinced as Saskia looked ready to snap something in half.

"Your heartbeat is erratic."

"I'm agitated and angry, and I want to punch something," She gestured offhandedly to the door. "Leroy fucking contacted them to torture me. He knows I don't like my family nor do I get along with them."

"Should we tell Jack?"

"Yes. The sooner they leave, the better. Leroy will try and get to me through them."

Saskia knew Leroy would try. Since Saskia was always surrounded by people, and not taking her runs in the forest anymore, she was a harder target to get alone. By having her mother in the same place as her, he could torture her without lifting a finger.

It was a sneaky move. Sneaky but clever.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"I've got the name of the hotel where your mother and sister are staying, Saskia," Jack said as she nodded. "I've got officers placed outside the hotel and the room is bugged so we'd know if Leroy tries to call them by calling the hotel number. They'll be safe. Don't worry."

Saskia didn't worry, it was something that she didn't like to do. But something clawed at her stomach, telling her something bad was going to happen.

"When did your mother get here?" Will asked as they exited Jack's office.

"She got here yesterday and refuses to fucking leave me alone," Saskia said through her teeth. "She made reservations for us at a four-star restaurant, knowing that I don't want to see or speak to her but Hannibal convinced me I needed to see them and tell them to be careful."

"When you go, keep your gun on you," He said, nodding to an agent when they passed them. "Even with no sight of Harris for a few weeks, you shouldn't risk it."

"I'll holster it when I leave the building. Security took it off me when I came in,"

"Why?"

"I'm not an FBI agent, even if I am helping you with the case,"

"Right."

The security agent went into the back and got her gun from the locked area. The magazine had been taken out and put to the side so Saskia had to shove it back in. The agent carefully watched her as she did it, his eyes on the safety to make sure. He nodded her out as soon as she put the gun in the underarm holster and concealed it with her brown jacket.

"Thanks," She nodded before going fully out of the building and going straight to the restaurant.

The restaurant was fairly fancy with everyone wearing some sort of cocktail dress or suit. And here was Saskia in high heeled boots, jeans, and a warm brown leather jacket with a light brown shirt. She was underdressed but did she give a shit?

No.

She strutted into the place as Countess followed behind her, and walked straight to the front where you checked in.

"Usual table, Miss Alasite?" The black-haired woman said after looking at Saskia for a moment, quickly grabbing a menu from the side.

"Not today, Miss Jin," Saskia smiled sadly at the Asian woman. "I've got dinner with my mother this evening, and I don't even want to be here."

"I can tell," Harumi Jin winked. "You look ready to hurt someone."

"Oh, I am. Just waiting for the gym later tonight, are you going?"

"Yeah, after Mama forces a few protein shakes down my throat," She tapped at the tablet in front of her, "Name of the party?"

"McCall, three seats,"

"We've got one for four seats. Did your mother have short, grey-blonde hair and a forced grinned?"

"Yep,"

"Looks like they came in about ten minutes ago. Two women and a man, elderly, about late seventies."

Saskia let out a huge breath of relief. "Thank the fucking gods. He'll be my stepdad then. Thank fuck. This night might actually end well."

"Come on, they're upstairs. Kevin put them by the tank," Harumi said, quickly rounding the desk and allowing Saskka to follow her up the stairs to the side.

"Saskia," Her stepdad greeted, standing up quickly as he gave her a half hug.

"Good to see you, Scott," Saskia pecked him on the cheek as they sat down. Countess quickly ducked over the chair legs, curling her body so she was around Saskia's feet but far away enough from the other women of the family.

"Has everyone ordered? Harumi asked.

"We have, just not Saskia," Scott said quickly.

"I'll have my usual, thanks."

Harumi nodded before placing a hand on her shoulder for but a moment, walking away.

"You have a usual here?" Evelott whispered loudly, almost shocked.

"Yeah," Saskia said. "It's a nice place with good food."

"If it's such a nice place, why don't you take your jacket off? Scott, isn't it rude to keep an outside jacket inside?"

"Seriously? Fine," Saskia stood up as she shrugged the jacket off, leaving her in her shirt, underarm holster and gun revealed. "Better?"

"Why the fuck do you have a gun?!" Mother almost screamed.

"Because my life is in danger, Mother," Saskia said as the waiters brought out the food to their table. "Thank you."

"Are guns even allowed in here?" Scott asked.

"Yes, as long as they remain holstered throughout the stay," Harumi filled their glasses with white wine but left Saskia's. "And only with concealed permits."

"I doubt mutts are allowed,"

"Not usually but Countess, and any other ESA or Guide dog, is an exception," Harumi said, smiling once at Countess before leaving.

All four of them began to eat their food. Scott had ordered a medium-rare steak as did her mother, Evelott had potatoes with different types of veg and a chicken wing. Saskia ordered a tofu dish that was very similar to a Chinese dish she often had as a child.

"So you're turning thirty-three soon," Scott prompted the conversation.

"In four days, yeah," Saskia nodded.

"Have you anything planned?"

"There'll be a small dinner, myself, Hannibal, Will, my psychiatrist Alana, Jack and his wife, and Abigail,"

Her mother huffed lightly, "Aren't we invited?"

"No, why would you think that?"

"We're your family, Saski,"

"My name is Saskia, not Saski," She put her utensils down. "I left home years ago seven years ago, and you didn't even bother to try to contact me within those seven years. So no, I don't consider you family anymore, Mum. Do you realise that Leroy Harris is a wanted criminal?"

"All of that shit is false, Saskia, you should know, it's America after all,"

"Yeah, false, yeah," Saskia unbuttoned the collar of her shirt, pulling it down to show off the almost healed scar on her shoulder. "Yeah, him stabbing me is false, and me almost dying on the operating table is false too."

"If that was true," Her mother turned up her nose as if to make Saskia feel like a child again. "I would have been informed."

"You're not my emergency contact anymore. You haven't been since I left."

"Why haven't I? I'm your mum."

"One, you live in a completely different country,"

She waved it off. "You can move back.

Saskia laughed. "As if. No thanks."

It was silent for a minute but it was sadly broken by her mother.

"I was thinking, since Scott and I are getting old now..."

"More like ancient, Scott," Saskia teased, making Scott look shocked for a moment before he smiled with a snicker. He always had good humour.

"I was thinking about getting a nice house," Her mother continued, giving them both a dark look for interrupting her.

"And?"

"I want to move back into the Old Vicarage."

Silence ensued.

The Old Vicarage was the house the whole family lived in when Saskia was in her young teens. Since the house no longer housed the vicar of the small village, the village's main church had been demolished due to its age, Sasakia brought the house after she came into her inheritance after her dad's death. Her family had already moved out by then, relocating to a smaller house, so Saskia was able to refurbish the whole place and made it all nice and very her.

Evelott looked up in shock, having been silent for most of the meal. She was surprised by what her mother had asked. Even she and Scott already knew the answer to that question.

Saskia did not hesitate to say, "Not happening."

"Why not?" Her mother scrunched her face up.

"Because I said so. It's my house, I get to decide what's going to happen with it."

"You're being impractical. You don't even live there anymore," She tried. "Why don't you just give it to us then? We're in need of it."

"If you're getting old, you don't want a huge house with a large staircase," Saskia smiled softly. "When you can't even walk straight in your old age, having to climb loads of stairs to even get to a bathroom is very impractical, don't you think?"

Scott tried to hide his smile, but his wife saw and swatted him on the arm in her rage. Countess sat up, placing her head into Saskia's lap and allowed the woman to stroke back her fur. Scott brushed his hand against Countess' back, only after getting a nod from Saskia

"I think you should move back,"

"I already said I'm not,"

"Your old friend, Leroy misses you,"

"You do realise he's killed like nineteen people now," Saskia watched as her mother blinked blankly.

"Since when?" Evelott questioned, genuinely curious about this.

"He started three years ago, just after Samson was killed by Liam,"

"Samson's dead?" Scott turned to her, waiting for a moment. "Never liked him anyway."

"Yeah. three years and a bit ago. He was left in my house by Liam who was later shot down by the police because he threatened me with a gun…"

The rest of the dinner suffered in uncomfortable silence.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Without a thought, Saskia grabbed her gun and had it pointed to the door.

"Shit!" She said, placing it back under her pillow as she turned back to the door. "Don't do that, man! Especially if I'm home alone."

Saskia took a moment to take in Will's haggard appearance, hair windswept and tousled hazardously. He was tired, another day of Jack pestering him for answers he just didn't have.

Since Hannibal was out of state for the night, he was doing a small lecture in Texas and planned to get back in the morning, Saskia knew she had to help Will this time.

There was just an unspoken rule about it. Sometimes Saskia had a nightmare and Hannibal helped her through the actual meaning, other times Will was so mentally exhausted that Hannibal had to force him into bed because he could not even think.

She stood from the bed, quickly grabbing the button-down shirt and throwing it on to cover her topless form. "Not to sound rude, but what brings you here? Another nightmare? Bad day?"

"Really bad day," He muttered, rubbing a hand through his hair before rubbing it down his face. "Had a case not far. Hannibal gave me a key if I ever needed to crash."

"Alright," Saskia said, nodding. "What have you eaten in the last twenty-hour hours?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. A sandwich for lunch maybe, an apple for dinner I think? My appetite hasn't been the best today."

"Kitchen, let's go," Saskia gently grabbed his arm and he allowed her to guide him to the kitchen. She shuffled through a cupboard before taking out three bars, handing Will two and keeping one for herself. "Protein bar. Hannibal keeps them stocked for when I've gone down the rabbit hole, he says. It's when I'm so focused on my writing or reading that I forget to do normal human things like eat."

"It's good," He sighed after a bite.

"It's peanut and chocolate,"

"Tasty,"

They eat them in silence for a moment.

"You look like shit and I don't trust you to drive back, not in this state," Saskia stated, exhaling with disapproval. "I doubt Hannibal will care that you slept in his bed. It isn't the first time."

Will gave a confused face as they walked upstairs, pausing on the stairs.

"Let's just say," Saskia turned her head to send a look over her shoulder. "You two are not quiet."

Will's ears turned pink at her words but he shrugged. "Healthy sex life isn't anything to be ashamed of. You should know. Your solo sessions aren't quiet either."

Saskia just smiled and gave out a sheepish look. "Go to bed before we regret this conversation. Night."

"Night,"

Something was wrong. It crawled to sit in her stomach, waking her up easily. Soon it clawed at her skin and mind, and she couldn't help but get up, leaving her gun as she felt like she didn't need it. At least, not now.

Countess had woken up also, she was quick to walk to the closed door and send a look over her shoulder.

She donned the long shirt again, buttoning two or three buttons, she was in too much of a hurry to know, to conceal her modesty. Her feet were bare as she stalked down the hall, her ears picking up the struggle against the bed as Countess strutted to Hannibal's bedroom before Saskia could stop her.

Countess used a paw to claw at the door, careful to not leave a mark. Saskia turned the handle and watched Countess almost squeeze between the gaps. The dog whined and Saskia opened the door some more.

Will had bunched the covers around his legs, leaving him in his shirt and boxers. He looked like he was fighting against something, his arms twitching and hands clenching and unclenching. His face was contorted into painful expressions of grief.

He was having a nightmare and a bad one.

Saskia swore. She knew how bad a nightmare could be, and with everything Will had to see every day, she couldn't imagine what he saw in his nightmares. His job was to be in the mindset of the killer.

She nudged him gently, knowing if he was startled, he could turn violent. When he didn't wake, she tried again with a firmer nudge. Again, it didn't work and Will was still trapped in his nightmare.

"For fuck's sake," Saskia muttered. "Will, wake up!"

She had a knee on the bed, then grabbed him by the shoulders to give him a light shake. She did not expect to be thrown over to his other side as he turned. She wasn't the lightest person but Will was strong, even asleep. Before Saskia could even sit up, Will had moved so he used her chest as a pillow.

Wow.

She thanked the fucking gods she had put the shirt on now.

Her heartbeat seemed to calm him. His face no longer contorted, Saskia suspected that his nightmare was lessening now. But how was she supposed to get back to her room when every time she moved to get up, Will's eyebrows furrowed together adorably. Unknowingly, he threw an arm across her stomach to keep her in place, tightening his grip when she tried to escape.

She would have tried to wake him up but she thought it would have been cruel. Saskia knew Will slept better when he had a heartbeat to listen to, she had that in common with him. She had seen Will fall asleep on Hannibal's chest before, the older man always just allowed him to sleep in peace.

Will didn't like being alone, and she understood that, so she stayed so he could sleep peacefully.

Nightmares were horrible things, she knew, she had plenty of them now.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Hannibal walked into the house at around half nine in the morning. He put his suitcase down to the side before pulling his coat off. He took a breath of familiarity in.

Will.

Will was here, or had been downstairs in the last few hours. Hannibal was quick but quiet to walk upstairs, knowing Saskia was a light sleeper but would sleep for several hours on end. He didn't need to disturb her as he walked to his bedroom. He was slightly concerned when he saw the door slightly ajar, already thinking that Will was in there.

Hannibal paused at the door, a smile curling his lips as he looked to the bed.

It wasn't just Will in the bed.

It was quite strange to see the two most mentally secretive yet open to their emotions people Hannibal had ever met, curled up in the bed together. Neither liked to be touched unless the need warranted it, both preferring to stick to their animal companions.

Will despised having anyone near his sternum and collarbone, saying it was just instinct to keep people away from there since it was near his heart and lungs.

Saskia hated having her neck and upper back touched, Hannibal found that out one day when he had to remove a pesky tag from her collar and almost got elbowed painfully.

Yet Will allowed Saskia to lean into his chest as he laid on his side, his nose tucked into her hair while her breath was warm against his collarbone. His hand was around her shoulder, loosely holding the base of her neck to keep her close.

The sheets were still bundled by their feet. Both of them were naked, save for underwear and a shirt each, but even that left little to the imagination. Neither of them were prudes so Hannibal had a good amount to go on.

Hannibal came over and took the sheets, carefully pulled it until it covered them up some more. He was surprised neither of them felt cold, even he did and he was wearing many more layering than they were.

Countess laid at the base of the bed on the floor, already knowing she was in another's territory but unwilling to leave her mistress alone. She cracked an eye open, Hannibal brought a finger to his lips and silently left the room after giving her an ear rub.

She yawned and closed her eyes.

Prideful beings, Humans.

Too scared to admit what was there.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

The dinner was beautiful.

It was informal and so was a comfortable affair. No one had said that it was Saskia's birthday, something she was thankful for. She didn't like her birthday much, it was just another day. But the food was gorgeous.

Crumbed asparagus with saffron yoghurt came first. Saskia was a huge fan of asparagus, but parsnips were her absolute favourite. Scott used to make the best roast dinners and Saskia always ate Natasha's, her younger sister's, parsnips if she gave her the potatoes.

Bella, Jack's wife, had complimented the spring onion bhajis with mint and coriander chutney. Saskia found Bella the perfect name for the beautiful woman. There was a sort of rare elegance that was hard to come by. Of course, Saskia had it too but this woman was absolutely genuine and a pleasure to speak to.

Abigail had devoured the summer pudding with fresh berries and creamy yoghurt. It didn't matter that it was nearing winter, Hannibal had desired the out of season berries and so went to a small market where he paid premium prices for a small batch of fresh berries. The pudding just melted in the mouth and Saskia had left an extra piece for Abigail to take back to Port Haven.

Near the end of the dinner, Jack was called out, if Jack was called out, so was Will.

Neither looked happy about leaving the dinner.

Saskia looked to the window, the red bundle that was the little fox sat outside. It looked into the house with a grin, it's tail, now Saskia noticed it had two tails, swished around before flicking it as it stood and strutted away with a snicker.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia might have despised her mother but… well, but nothing. She had no feeling for her mother and her well being anymore. Sure, if she had tried to patch their relationship as Saskia grew to an adult, Saskia might have forgiven her somewhat, but her mother never tried to even behave better. Saskia couldn't find it in herself to forgive her actions and the plain favouritism in the family.

"Here," Jack passed over an evidence bag with a slip of card inside. "He left a note again."

A little birthday gift,

Cheers.

When her mother's body turned up on the metal tables of the BAU labs as the twentieth victim, Saskia refused to look at her. She didn't even know that she was backing away until her back hit something.

"Saskia?"

She had stepped into Will when he came into the room. Saskia was quick to turn around, averting her eyes as tears well. Saskia carefully wiped the tears away, making sure to keep her fingers from the probably ruined eyeliner. She had to act the part of actually caring about her parent, otherwise, Jack would suspect something was wrong with her and send her to Alana more often.

"What's happening? Why is she crying?"

"If you must know, Jack, that," Saskia quickly sucked up false courage to look at the corpse. "Is my dearly departed mother. When was she killed?"

"I don't think—"

"When. Was. She. Killed?" She tried again, firmer this time.

"The fourteenth,"

"What a great fucking gift, Leroy!" Saskia said sarcastically, grumbling under her breath so only Will heard her last line. "Good riddance."

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia wasn't annoyed or even saddened by her death, quite a relief actually, and Hannibal and Will noticed. She had been more excitable the fast few days, ready to take on more challenges and she actually fell asleep at better times than before.

They confronted her on this.

"There's a certain relief in knowing that the person who has brought you so much pain is dead," Was her only answer, that and a bubbling smile that reached her eyes beautifully.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

And now it was just the funeral.

The oldest sister, Guilia, insisted that she attended the funeral, and after Scott called her, Saskia agreed.

Saskia travelled to England to babysit her nephew for the week leading up to the funeral. Guilia and her husband were the ones to arrange the funeral, while Natasha, the second youngest, sorted out the hotels and venues for when everyone would get to Lithuania.

And now the whole family was in Lithuania, lowering the casket into the space to the side of their maternal grandmother and grandfather.

Saskia had sat in the front row. Scott sat right at the end, and then it was the oldest sister, then Saskia, and then the younger but not youngest, and then Evelott, the golden child and supposed favourite in their mother's eyes.

The funeral was small, mostly a family affair with some of her mother's cousins and siblings attending. Saskia wasn't well-liked by many of them.

It was a solemn affair.

"She is dead because Leroy Harris killed her, Evelott!" Saskia screamed after being accused again for the fourth time in the last hour. She caught the attention of everyone but she didn't care. She wouldn't be put down any more. "This is not my fault."

"You wrote those disgusting books!" Evelott shoved a finger into Saskia's face. "You will go to Hell for that! You devil's whore! You are the reason Mum is dead!"

Saskia had enough, letting her sad facade fade and let her angry simmer to a spitting boil. Her sisters had always been disturbed by how quickly Saskia went from kind and caring to not taking anyone's bullshit.

"Yeah, I wrote those books just like many people have written the things in the bible, and yet you condone the deaths of hundreds each day because they do not conform to your twisted sense of right and wrong? Just because I do not care about a god that has done nothing for me, or that I don't care about what gender my partner is, you decide that I am heading to Hell?"

Her face was close to her sister's, the woman backed down as she saw the crazed predatory look in her older sister's eyes. Evelott knew she would be beaten in an argument with Saskia. Having been blamed for much of Evelott's actions, Saskia was good at bringing up things that could make or break her sister's reputation within the family.

"The Devil best leave the gates wide open because I'm coming back home to my throne!" Saskia began to walk away before sticking her middle finger at Evelott over her shoulder.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia didn't care if she was dressed in a tight black dress, the same one she wore to the funeral hours before, but she sat on the dirty bench before her father's grave. He was buried in the forest behind his old home, one she now owned and stayed in during the funeral's preparation.

"Hi Dad," Saskia said out loud to the grave. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, I'm not sorry to say that Mother's dead. Leroy Harris killed her on my birthday, and nine days later, she was buried by Grandma's grave. I was accused of being the reason she died. I don't really care for their opinion, I only went to the funeral because Guilia and Scott said I needed to.

"I got called a Sinner today. Can't disagree with that statement." She shrugged, letting Countess snuggle up and into her side as the rain started to pour. She didn't put up the umbrella, she didn't have a want to. "What's the point of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins if we don't sin a little, so sin a lot and come down to Hell a legend."

Saskia continued to talk to her dad for a while, informing him about what had occurred within the last three years of Saskia working with the FBI. how she met Will and Hannibal, how they found out what she did, what she could do. It was strangely uplifting telling her dad this.

It helped her understand herself a little more, and understand how the two men had changed her life a little.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia laid her head against the countertop, her arm being used as a pillow as she just breathed. She lost her appetite two weeks ago, barely able to keep down a sandwich on a good day. Her stomach didn't want food, twisting itself into painful knots of despair that dug into Saskia's skin and gave her a headache.

"You haven't been eating well recently," Hannibal said as he washed up the last of the dishes, putting them to the side to dry. His grip was white against the counter, almost angry with her for not prioritising her health over the last couple of weeks. "Why?"

"If I eat, I'll be sick; if I'm sick, I'll be tired; if I'm tired, I'll sleep; if I sleep, I'll have a night terror; if I have a night terror, I'll lose my appetite; if I lose my appetite, I'll have a drink," Saskia sat up, swirling the glass a touch as she settled her weight onto a forearm. "If I have a drink, I'll be hungry; if I'm hungry, I'll eat. It's a horrible, horrible cycle."

Hannibal hadn't realised how tired Saskia was. The dark circle under her eyes were atrocious, almost like dark bruises of a black eye. Saskia wore an inconceivable amount of concealer to hide them every day. Her normally clear eyes were foggy and red from strain. Her skin was shallow compared to its normal, healthy glow from a few weeks before.

He snatched the glass from her hand when she went to drink some more, quickly emptying the amber liquid down the drain without a regret. She didn't make a sound of protest, only sighing into her hands. Saskia was like a rag doll, easily manipulated to stand up as Hannibal took out her chair.

"That's enough," Hannibal didn't hesitate to take her by the arm and guide her upstairs, going straight to the bathroom and running the bath in her bathroom. "You will have a hot bath with lavender salts, the ones you love, while I find you some sleeping pills."

That last bit made Saskia rip her hand out of his grip. She shook her head firmly. "No pills. Hot chocolate is better, coffee is best."

It took a minute or two but the claw bath filled easily. Saskia breathed in the lavender scent, it was subtle and not overpowering, with a hint of rose. It was the reason Saskia liked this brand of bath salts, it left a subtle scent on her skin that didn't make her nauseous.

"It's too late for coffee. While you bathe, I'll make some hot chocolate."

Saskia nodded mutely, slowly unbuttoning the shirt she wore, uncaring of the fact that Hannibal watched her for but a moment before the door clicked closed.

The salts had turned the water a very slight lilac and pink tone, barely noticeable unless you concentrated. The water was hot and heavenly on her tired body as she sank into the water, her hair piled into a mess on top of her head so it didn't get wet.

She hugged herself in the burning water, needing some kind of physical comfort in human form. Countess was great but Saskia needed more, wanted more. She'd been loved twice before, loved three times, and finding love was hard enough.

It had been over three years since she, Leroy and Liam killed Samson. She had let that love go a while back, never finding herself regret the loss of it. It was more of a relief to be able to breathe normally and not having to constantly look over her shoulder. But with Leroy now threatening her and her family again, she'd been spiralling again.

And with her mother dead and buried, that helped a little. But it just brought the nightmares back and they were worse than ever before. She could hardly sleep, and if she did, she was always woken up with a heaving breath that even she knew wasn't right.

Hannibal opened the door after knocking, coming in with a bundle and a steaming cup. He carefully handed the cup to her, watching her as she took it and daintily took a sip to test it.

"I went and got your favourite pyjamas," He gestured to the bundle on top of the toilet lid.

"How do you know they were my favourites?" Her lip curled a little as she teased him. "For all you know, I could prefer sleeping in my prom dress."

He chuffed, smiling a little. It was a calm little smile, nothing predatorial or unstable about it. It was a smile you made when you were being teased fondly by someone you found a friend. "You wear them whenever you have a lazy day. I thought it best that you wear something comfortable to sleep."

Saskia nodded, her eyes downcast into the milky chocolate in her cup. There was no concern for her nudity as she laid in the bath, she couldn't care any less at that moment in time. It was natural and Saskia was never a big prude about her body. It was her body and so she just had to love it because it was the only one she would get.

"I fear that I'll have another night terror," She shifted, her arms now dripping over the edge of the bath as Saskia leaned on it. The position prevented him from seeing anything due to Saskia having her chest against the tub and her legs crossed creatively to hide.

"What do you dream of?"

"I can never remember. It's never actually scary, but it freaks me out enough to make me wake up. I'm not a screamer or thrasher. I suddenly wake up and quickly spiral down unless I have something to ground me. Countess doesn't always work,"

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia just floated on the ocean water. Land was nowhere to be seen and the water was calm, and clear, and kind. She didn't need to move, didn't need to think, to touch, to feel. It was pure heaven as she floated. Her body, mind, and spirit completely numb to the touch. She could have just stayed there forever.

The water enveloped her, pushing her within its depths without a care. She started treading water as soon as it hit her nose. The waters around her mocked her as she tried to keep her head above the water, kicking her legs as fast and as steadily as she could. It was to no avail as the water consumed her.

The icy temperatures stung her nose and eyes. Once again, her head reached the surface and she took in a deep breath, settling the air into her stomach before she was dunked back under the water. Something held her down as she struggled to reach the surface, barely getting another breath before plunging back in.

Why was there ice?

It wasn't there before.

Why would it appear so suddenly?

The next time she hit the surface, a thin layer of ice, almost invisible, covered the surface but she couldn't break it. She banged her fists against the layer, wanting to get out and see the sky. It did nothing as she curled up against it, trying to use her knees, and elbows, and hands, and head, and nails, to get out.

There was the clank of hooves against the ice. An animal, a large one with a thick body, began to walk around the area she tried to break, almost mocking her for a moment. Its head came nearer than ice, and she could see that it was a stag. It began to scrap its antlers against the ice and her fight renewed itself, almost making her hands bleed with how much force she extorted.

Saskia tried to scream, finding her voice muffled by the water around her. She tried to grasp the thousands of tiny air bubbles that reached the ice and phased through.

With the scream, her breath was gone. Water filled her mouth but she was quick to spit it out.

She paused, her energy depleted for the moment. She was dragged down, her limbs too heavy to move anymore.

As she went further and further away from the surface, the waters darkened dangerously. Her will to fight just made her be dragged down further but she couldn't move. She didn't want to. Why was she becoming tired? Her eyelids wanted to drop and there was a strong desire to just stop moving and let go.

Her breath was now gone.

Saskia…

The waters had their icy grip on her limbs and she just sank.

Saskia…

There was no need to think as her mind became numb with the cold.

Saskia…

She just wanted to stay in the water forever, not leaving its stiff condiments on her limbs as her eyelids closed for the final time.

"Saskia, wake up!"

She sprung up in the bed, her shoulder hitting Hannibal's as she gasped for air. Her lungs burned with it, finally getting the needed oxygen.

"Careful," He muttered as she clutched her heaving chest. "You were crying from a nightmare."

She touched her cheeks, finding her fingers wet. Why was she crying? She didn't feel like she was crying, but the tears were enough evidence. She was numb, detached even. Her emotions were bundled tightly into her chest.

Saskia didn't say anything but nodded once before staring off to space again.

Hannibal sighed. She had completely detached herself to save herself from the trauma of the nightmare. He swiftly removed the weighted blanket from over her, easily picking her up from the bed. With a nod, he motioned for Countess to follow him into his room.

It was too dangerous to let her sleep alone, especially when she had paused in her breathing, much too long to be healthy. Even Countess wasn't able to wake her. She didn't need another episode.

Hannibal tucked her into one side of the bed, and when he got in, she instantly curled up into his side, unaware of her actions. Countess tried to climb onto the bed but he stopped her; he didn't need animal hair on his silk sheets. But when she whined pitifully, looking to her frozen master in the bed, Hannibal nodded to the end on Saskia's side. The woman had curled up enough to leave room for Countess to be able to tuck under her legs.

Saskia tucked herself into Hannibal's side, doing much the same she had done to Will a while ago. The small brushing of a finger against her exposed lower back was a comfort she could not comprehend, already off to sleep as soon as his steady heartbeat sounded in her earshot.

Hannibal stared off into space for a while before he too succumbed to nature's will, falling asleep with his hand on her back, her hand on his chest, and his body curled protectively around her, lest the night terror wreck havoc again.

It was a long way down to the bottom of the sea.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

AN: I know Saskia is acting like a child, not taking care of herself, but she's in a bad mental place. I hope you understand why I had to have the funeral and her mother killed. You can tell that the end is coming with the Leroy Harris Arc, one more victim and it's gonna be done! and I can move onto the next arc. I am following the storyline of the show, so within the next chapter or two, you'll understand where we are in the show. it should be the Colour Palette murder one.

(This is no reflection on what has happened in my life, though there are some similarities, a lot of Saskia's past is FICTION, but I have used personal experiences between myself, my family, and other members of the public.) Some people have asked and I just wanted to make things clear.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: I've been unable to properly check through this chapter due to the fact that my laptop's 1, Q,A,Z buttons have stopped working. Luckily everything i write is in a Google doc so I can write on my tablet and phone if there is a need.

I've started sixth form now, so the chapters on all of my stories will be spaced out a bit more. I will try and keep the chapters long.

Chapter 10

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

The next day, Hannibal insisted that Saskia go to Alana Bloom, and if she wasn't willing to speak to Alana, Hannibal was happy to listen to her. Saskia did so without argument but didn't want to speak to Alana, knowing that the woman would prescribe some kind of unneeded medication that would distort her mind more.

Saskia knew she needed to get proper help now. After a bit of persuasion, Saskia agreed to take sleeping pills for her insomnia. She even went to the doctor to see if she had sleep apnea, which she luckily didn't have.

"I'm not terrified of drowning," Saskia admitted, her finger tapping against the leather seat as Hannibal wrote something down in his journal.

They were at his office, an hour or two before the time he usually finished working. Having made enough space for a session, they just spoke.

"What are you scared of then?"

"Unreliability, i'd think. Unpredictability too, but that's nature's way. I've already told you what happened in the nightmare. I'm a strong swimmer, after I almost drowned once, I made sure to be able to swim for long periods if there was ever a need."

"Everything in nature is unpredictable, but not everything is unreliable. And with your mother's death, did that have to do with your nightmare?"

"No," Saskia firmly shook her head, her hand in Countess' fur. "It was because Leroy killed her, on my birthday no less. The same night we were having dinner here, he went out and actively killed her and left me a note.

"I think since Leroy was able to get my family members involved, it told me that, even if I am physically safe, emotionally I might not be. I'm sad because of her death, only because that's what I'm supposed to be, isn't it?"

"A death of a family member usually gives the family a negative viewpoint for a while," Hannibal stated before gesturing to her vaguely. "But in your case, since you affiliated your mother with negative emotions already, in her absence, you feel that the negative things in your life have been lifted."

"That sounds about right. But my nightmares weren't really to do with her, more with Leroy and how he can still get to me."

"You had a trip to England and then Lithuania? How was it? Did you visit your father?"

"The trip was alright. Got called a sinner, a devil's whore, the normal things. I spoke to my dad for a bit after the funeral. It was… nice? I think nice is the right word unless I wanted to use a thousand. It was quite a relief to see him again, well, his grave but even speaking to that made me feel like I was speaking to him again."

There was a pause.

"You've been sleeping better," Hannibal noted. "More regularly and at better times. Have you accomplished anything with Abigail's book. How is it coming along?"

Saskia smiled warmly and began rambling on about how well it was getting for now. After half an hour, Will walked into the room unannounced.

"I thought you had therapy with Alana, not Hanninal," Will questioned.

"Yeah, but Alana isn't the best with the darker side of life. And I believe this is the end of our session," Saskia said, checking her watch. She grabbed her coat from the back of the chair before shrugging it on. "Are you eating with us, Will? I plan to make garlic butter pasta. Any requests for meat, or will bacon suffice, Hannibal?"

"I believe I have some sliced meat in the back fridge, if you are willing to cook that instead of bacon?" Hannibal inquired. He was curious on where Saskia stood with eating human meat. He had never given her any meat before. He himself didn't like eating animal meat, and so was rather picky with where the animal meat came from.

"Sure, meat is meat. I'm not eating it so I don't really care what or who it is. Are you joining us, Will?"

"I will," He said after looking at Hannibal, who nodded with a slight grin.

"I'll start it at eight, you both should be back by the time I've finished cooking," Saskia smiled in farewell before leaving, Countess following diligently behind her.

They waited a few moments, making sure that Saskia was out of earshot before speaking.

"She's changing," Will stated.

"Perhaps," Hannibal put away his notebook into one of the drawers. "Or she's finally accepting herself."

"Hannibal, Saskia already accepts herself, can't you see it? You pushed her last time, and she saw how you reacted to her truer self. She's changing in the fact that she doesn't lie to us. Well, lie to us like she used to."

"She called them omissions. I've found out that she doesn't like to lie unless she has to. She prefers to manipulate the truth to suit her needs in the moment." Hannibal leaned on the edge of the table as he and Will stared outside. "There's something I can't quite put my finger on with her. Something that makes me concerned for my own safety and yours."

"Do you think she will try and betray us? Is she a liability?"

"No, I don't believe so," They gave each other a wary look. "At least, not yet. I hope she doesn't become on. Her presence is nice. Her company is pleasurable and pleasant. It's hard to find people like us, or even remotely like us in any sense."

"Even Abigail retains her humanity," Will said, cocking a hip out as he shifted his feet. "I don't even think Saskia had any to begin with."

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

She did not want to open the invitation.

She knew who this was from already. The navy envelope and silver script that said her name and address was unmistakable in the higher classes. Saskia used a small butter knife to open the letter, easily slipping the royal blue piece of card out.

Miss S Alasite,

Monsieur and Madam Crow extend the invitation of the annual Yule Charity Ball at Crow Manor to you. Dress is Formal, but heels and/or bow tie is optional. However, suit and/or formal dress is mandatory. Colour doesn't matter.

Black tie is not mandatory.

We do hope to see you on the 24th of December, at Crow Manor in LA.

A plus one is acceptable.

Sighed,

Monsieur and Madam Travers Crow.

Saskia was surprised, but at the same time not, that Hannibal got an identical envelope. She knocked on the door of Hannibal's study and waited until he answered, coming in and placing the letter on his desk. He glanced up at her before putting his pen down, going for the envelope and opening it.

"It seems like I will have to get a new suit," Hannibal mumbled after reading it for a moment.

Saskia held her own invitation between two fingers, a slightly grim expression on her face. "I need a new dress."

"I didn't know that you knew the Crows," Hannibal sat back in his seat, hands clasped together on his stomach.

"Who doesn't? They bought Mia Kimmer's artworks after her death," Saskia crossed her arms, leaning on the desk a little. "I was brought up working class before my family became middle class. But I'm from old money, on my dad's side, that is. My mother wasn't allowed to touch any of my inheritance."

"When I was younger, before my family was killed and before I came to America, my family owned a castle. We had to leave due to an unsettlement."

"Really? You own a castle in Lithuania?" Saskia grinned with a shrug. "I own a cabin and a forest where my dad was buried."

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"You'll have to be careful with Countess inside," Will said, parking his trunk outside with ease.

Saskia had agreed to help bathe Will's dogs. Countess needed a good bath anyway, and running around with the other dog would keep her calm before they started the chore of cleaning the mutts.

"Did you get a new dog?" Saskia asked, getting out before letting Countess jump out of the back of the trunk.

"Yeah, but it's more like it found me." Will opened the door to the house and whistled. They heard a large howl before the pack of strays surrounded them in greeting and then ran outside. "He's been quite aggressive with people, even Hannibal couldn't go near him so I've had to chain him for now."

They watched the pack of strays and Countess run around the front of the house, the snow was getting thick as December rolled around. After letting them run and play, and get plenty of snow stuck to their furs, Will called them in before both of them began to bathe the dogs in the metal tub placed before the fire.

Countess laid in front of the fire, she and Winston were the first to be washed, and now both of them were warming back up. Zeus was the next and Will had to hold him in place because he would not stop whining about being washed. For a huge dog like him, he was very much a wimp.

After seeing a flash of the fire, Saskia thought she saw the fox again. Will noticed her confusion and so asked her what was up.

"It's… it's nothing. I keep seeing this fox. Absolutely beautiful fox that keeps turning up." Saskia blinked before getting back to towel drying Zeus. "But it's not actually there."

"Like a hallucination?"

"I'd believe so. It's strange because I saw it when speaking with Abigail, and once again during the dinner we all shared. But the second time, it had two tails instead of one."

"Diesel, you're next," Will gestured as the German Shepherd got into the metal tub without a sound. "I remember when I had hallucinations. It started after I met Hannibal, before I found out about him. I think it was because of the Garret Jacob Hobbs case."

"Abigail's father? Why?"

"They were hunters, did Abigail tell you?"

"Yeah, I remember now. There was something… off about Abigail and eventually I had her drop the act and I understood her actions better for it. Didn't they have a room full of deer heads or something?"

"A cabin in the woods where Garret Jacob Hobbs and Abigail killed the girls. Abigail didn't realise that he was feeding them the girl."

"Kinda reminds me of Hannibal in that respect, but Hannibal has a better reason, you could say, for killing them. It's not really cannibalism if you aren't eating your equal."

"Has Hannibal ever fed you his creations of work?"

"No, or at least i hope to believe so. Hannibal has said that he has never fed me that and I trust him to not to lie to me."

"I used to see a stag. And for some reason, it reminded me of Hannibal a lot. I had nightmares a lot, bad ones, I still do but Hannibal, and you, have helped me keep them at bay,"

"Stag? When I had my drowning nightmare, after the ice had suddenly appeared, I saw the hooves of deer or stags. It even brought its head close to the ice and I saw the maroon eyes it glared with. I'm on sleeping pills so I never really get to the stage of dreaming anymore, but the stag reminds me of Hannibal, strangely enough. I think I see the fox when I'm paranoid, or because of my paranoia? I don't know."

"I saw the stag more and more because of the Ripper case."

"Chesapeake Ripper? Hannibal's case?"

"That one. When did he tell you?"

"Yeah, a while back, i've known for about a year now. I laughed when he told me he was a cannibal. Hannibal, cannibal. I couldn't help myself."

"I started to talk more openly about the stag with Hannibal, he helped me when I was getting worse and eventually I was diagnosed with this brain condition, now I just take pills to keep the inflammation down in my brain." He shrugged as he lathered the dog's fur. "I feed the FBI lies about the Chesapeake Ripper and Hannibal keeps me stable. We have this sort of companionship, we're there for each other if there is a need. We satisfy what others cannot."

Saskia chuffed. "I'm either thinking you satisfy both of your intellects, or your sex lives. Why am i thinking of that?"

"You've got a dirty mind,"

"That's putting it lightly," She paused, "So you and Hannibal are dating?"

"Of sorts. We haven't really discussed it like that but I'd hope to believe we are monogamous."

"It just happened?"

"Yeah, it just happened over a long period of time. Hannibal tries to force me to go to these operas and stuff like that. It isn't my style."

"Oh, that reminds me," Saskia sat back onto her hunches. "I got an invite to a charity ball and I was wondering if you wanted to be my date for it. Completely platonic, of course. But it's considered unseemly if I attend by myself, otherwise one of the old hags will try and set me up with their sons again."

"Uh, when will it be?"

"Twenty fourth, this month,"

"Hannibal mentioned the Crows' ball. He'd be glad if he found a way to weasel me into going."

"So, do you accept? I'd need to know soon to get plane tickets and hotels ready for it. And you'd need to get a suit,"

"I accept. Hannibal will have to help me get a suit, I doubt i have something that will fit such an event."

"Don't worry about the price, i'll get it for you."

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia's curiosity got the best of her.

The dog was less dog and more wolf with its size and face. It was plain black with a touch of burnt brown, and it did not look happy sitting in the garage.

Saskia was careful approaching it, making sure that Countess stayed away.

She was on her knees, carefully making sure that the wolf dog was comfortable with her in there. She only crept forward when she knew he was behaving. Eventually the wolf dog moved, making Saskia flinch back. It froze as if it understood that it startled her, taking slower steps to stand before creeping towards her. She stuck her hand out to let him sniff it and he did, before licking it.

He suddenly pulled her sleeve and her with it, almost pouncing so he laid over her legs and most of her chest. Countess was quick to jump forward and growled at the other dog, which he growled back at. They both sneezed before Countess went into a playful bow. She strutted until she stood to the side of him, almost shoving him over a little so she also got to lay on Saskia too.

Saskia groaned as Countess laid down. "You're both heavy."

The wolf dog growled when Countess huffed, making her whine with an almost humanlike eye roll.

"Shut it," Saskia tapped both of their muzzles until they looked at her like she had two head. "Will, we have a slight problem!"

He came into the room before pinching the bridge of his nose when he saw them. "What is it with you and dogs?"

"Hey, i'm not the one who brings home strays all the time,"

"But you're the one under an aggressive wolf dog that even growled at Hannibal, and I bet…" Will stepped forward and reached down an inch. Instantly, the dog growled from deep within his chest, sending Will a warning look before a nip. "Thought so. He considers Hannibal and I as the enemy when he lays on you. He didn't even give Jack another look after growling at him. And Alana, he just ignored."

"Really, dude?" The dog placed his head so it nestled between her breasts, an awkward angle for Saskia. She sighed and simply gave him an ear rub as his chest vibrated in contentment. "He probably sees you as dangerous, understandable though. Wolves prefer women due to the fragile look and less aggressive movements. Watch this."

Saskia allowed herself a moment to take a breath, closing her eyes before opening them to reveal the completely empty look in them. The wolf dog was confused, quickly sitting to the side and was giving Countess the dirtiest look, like respect her!.

Saskia was able to sit up without a problem, only petting the dog on the head after he stayed still. She crouched down until she was level with him, giving him a good neck and chest rub too.

"ARWOOO!"

Will laughed as Saskia just blinked as the wolf dog had just howled, literally into her face.

"Thanks for that."

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Over the next few weeks, Saskia was making arrangements for them. She had booked the hotel for the day before the ball and the day after, giving them enough time to get ready and then get ready to depart without having to rush. And thankfully Saskia and Hannibal both had green cards, but since both of them had Lithuanian passports, Saskia hoped they didn't have any problems on the plane.

Will was very reluctant to allow Saskia to pay for the suit. Both Hannibal and he had their suits custom made by a place Hannibal trusted. When they asked what dress Saskia was going to wear, she winked and said it was a surprise for the ball.

Saskia convinced Will to get the perfectly tailored suit. Hannibal had helped to choose it so Saskia just had to swipe her card and pay, and the suit would be delivered a few days before the party.

Both sides arrived the same day as her dress. She tried it on to make sure it fit properly and she was relieved to find that it was perfect

And soon enough all three and Countess were on the plane. It was a long flight but Saskia only ever took business class, and somade the two men take the same, paying the difference between economy and business.

Luckily, due to the fact that Saskia brought Countess, they were able to board the plane first. When the flight attendant passed them champagne, Saskia took one and simply handed it over to Hannibal. As if she was going to drink anything like that again.

The hotel was a good four stars, perhaps for if they had better service but the rooms were beautiful with excellent views. By some fortune, the rooms Saskia had chosen were in a suite. She took the smaller back room, while Will and Hannibal shared the main one. Both rooms had their own en suites so there was no awkwardness as Saskia had the habit of walking dripping wet back to her room.

There were several hours before the ball was going to happen, and Saskia booked a massage and spa treatment for herself. But before she left for it, she handed each man a small box, and Will got an extra box.

Both men got pocket squares that would complement their suits.

"What's this?" Will asked as he opened his other gift. He took out a bottle of expensive liquid, uncapping the bottle before taking a sniff.

"Serge Lutens L'Eau?" Hannibal said after a moment. "Expensive. A hundred and fifty dollars if I remember correctly."

Will looked up. "I see that Hannibal isn't the only one to disapprove of my aftershave recently."

"If I ever have to smell that aftershave again, Will," Saskia said over her shoulder as she began for the door. "I'm going to hurl it at the wall. I've got a few appointments to go to. I'll be back just after six, the party is at nine but it won't actually start until half term or so."

She looked at her nails as she left, Countess easily trailing behind. The blue and white nails needed to be replaced by a new coffin set. These ones were a month old and her pointer nail would fall off any day now.

The new set was a simple black with her middle and ring finger nails being a polished maroon that would match her dress.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

"Saskia, are you decent?" Hannibal knocked at the bedroom door.

"Yeah," She struggled to tighten the corset back, having to use her hands out of sight to do it. "Door's unlocked. Just tryna tighten this piece of shit."

"What?" Will said as he and Hannibal came in, watching her struggle to tighten the dress around her. Hannibal was swift to come over to her and help tighten it, easily doing so and then tucking the red ribbon of the corset into the top, hiding it.

Everyone's attention would have been… elsewhere so there was no need to worry about the ribbon.

She finished her look after wrapping the black ribbons of her heels to her ankles.

"You're going to be cold," Will said after pausing to look at her as she applied the lipstick lightly. She used a bit of mascara to fix up her lash extensions before deciding she was ready.

"You don't get to look this good and not have to suffer some consequences, Will," Saskia smiled at herself in the mirror. "I've got a coat, don't worry. I like a good three piece suit. You both look handsome."

Hannibal looked completely in ease in his burgundy suit, the inside was silver and the shirt was black. His tie was red and silver with an aristocratic theme. The vest was the same with black and silver design, contrasting the suit nicely as he buttoned it. His cufflinks were silver and had L carved into them. Saskia thought they looked like family heirlooms.

"Thank you, Saskia. You look marvelous," Hannibal grinned as he helped Will into his jacket.

Will fiddled with his cuffs, the underside of the black jacket was red to match the others. His shirt was burgundy red with his tie and pocket square matching Hannibal's vest, just like Hannibal's matched his vest. The vest was silver and red with the design being like a tapestry.

They didn't mean to match each other, at least Saskia didn't. Will and Hannibal, on the other hand, looked like they were meant to be partners. Everyone wore the same shade of red, burgundy red. Saskia had chosen it because she wanted to wear red but she knew she didn't look good in bright reds.

Saskia closed the long cloak-like coat, it almost completely hid her dress and figure.

"Countess, up," Saskia patted the bed and the canine jumped up. She allowed her master to put the black collar on her. "She won't be the only animal there, so she doesn't need to wear her vest."

"Are you bringing your gun?"

"Strapped to my thigh. I sent word ahead to the party that I would be bringing it." Saskia pulled the silver chain of her black clutch so it rested on her shoulder. "Ready?"

)(-)(-)(-)(

"Miss Alasite, your car is waiting at the entrance," The front desk assistant said before dropping the keys carefully into her hand.

"Thank you," Saskia said before turning to the two men as they walked outside, dangling the keys in her hands. "So who's driving the Rolls Royce? Can't drive cause I'd wrinkle the dress and this corset isn't giving me any room to breathe properly."

"I thought you couldn't drive," Will said after Hannibal gestured for him to take the keys.

"I just really hate it, prefer a motorbike purring between my thighs than a car. Can't really take Countess if I'm on a bike," Saskia opened the door to the back, allowing Countess in before getting in herself, sitting in the middle of the back seat. Hannibal closed her door before going for his seat in the front, to the right of Will who would be driving.

)(-)(-)(-)(

"Last names?"

"Alasite, plus one,"

"Lector,"

"Welcome to Crow Manor. The coat closet is to the left and the entrance to the hall is to the right,"

"Thank you,"

She shrugged the coat off, easily handing it to the servant who stood behind the tall counter. They also took Hannibal's and Will's coats before going to the back room to hang them up with designated numbers.

"Wow. Are you sure you'll be able to walk by the end of the night?" Will asked.

"Oh, honey. I can run in heels," Saskia grinned. "As long as you help me down the stairs, I'll be fine."

Saskia looked like a succubus in a wet dream and she knew it. The dress left nothing to the imagination. With a slit to the left thigh, Saskia had to strut and sway her hips as she walked. The tightness of the dress should have been illegal but she made it worth it.

The dress was full length, falling to her ankles and swayed. With each step, her six inch heels kicked away the burgundy red dress. The top pushed her breasts up seductively and showed off plenty of cleavage. The corset back kept it tight against her, keeping it and the girls in place.

The silver choker complimented the glamorous look she was going for, matching the chain earrings that ended in a simple red gemstone. A silver and red hair clip was keeping her hair from tumbling down from the base of her skull, all gathered to create an elberate look and to show off the necklace and earring pair.

)(-)(-)(-)(

"If one more person touches my ass without my permission," Saskia muttered dangerously as she stood next to Hannibal. "I'm going to hurt someone."

"Don't you think you are overreacting?"

"We haven't even been here an hour, and I've had seven people touch me inappropriately. Seven, Hannibal. Seven. And I'm ready to hurl a punch," Saskia gave a quick glance over everyone close to her. "I don't care if my dress is tight. I could be naked and it still doesn't give them permission to touch me like they have been."

"Saskia, dear!"

"Kill me now," She muttered before finishing her drink and forcing a huge grin on her lips. "Madam Crow, how lovely to see you. And might I say, that shade of blue just makes your eyes pop!"

The older woman simply smiled and waved the compliment off. "I know, I know. But that dress of yours, so beautifully… fitted."

Or in other words, Madam Crow liked the dress and thought it suited Saskia, but also thought it showed too much but couldn't find a polite way to say it.

"Custom made dresses are usually made to fit perfectly," Saskia said, eyeing Hannibal and Will, both of whom stepped away and left her to speak with the older woman.

"If I remember correctly…" Madam Crow tapped a French manicured finger against her chin and looked around. "I invited the Vergers. They live in Maryland, don't they? Or close by?"

Saskia shrugged. "I wouldn't know."

She knew the reputation of Mason Verger. He worked, well, he traumatised the children who visited his mansion. His family grew and slaughtered pigs for profit. Even if Saskia was vegetarian, business was business and many people ate their well produced products.

Madam Crow waved two people over with a grin.

Saskia took a glass off of a passing servant with a tray, easily drinking the spiked hot chocolate. If these were the Vergers, the sister was beautiful but the brother just made her want to crawl backwards to the two men who Saskia knew would protect her from his advances.

She downed the rest of the hot chocolate. This was going to be a long night.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Saskia considered herself a peaceful woman, only because she was capable of great violence and harm. But right now, as the man spoke, Saskia's grip on the spiked hot chocolate was turning her knuckles white and her eye twitched.

"Madam Crow," The male cooed, a grin appearing on his lips. "How wonderful to see you. Say, how is the Crow Charity? Bountiful, I hope."

"It has been, Mr Verger," Madam Crow smiled as she placed a hand onto Saskia's arm. "Saskia here, she graciously donated a hundred thousand dollars."

"Saskia?" He tried the name on his tongue, Saskia didn't like how he said it but didn't comment, only nodding slightly. "What a strange name…"

"It's another version of Sasha, which was derived from the name Alexandra, which means Protector of Man," Saskia said straight away. It was a usual question that came with her unusual name. She already wanted to leave the conversation.

"Oh, I would have pegged you as British. Seems like somethings can be deceiving,"

"Yes, well, I was raised in Britain for most of my childhood so the accent came to me quickly,"

"Where are my manners," He almost gasped, taking her hand suddenly and placing a kiss onto the little blue ring that offset the outfit. "Mason Verger, at your service. This is my lovely sister, Margot Verger."

"Lovely sister indeed," Saskia smiled as Margot returned it.

Saskia gave her a good once over just as Margot did the same to her. They both appreciated the female form, regardless of what it was dressed in. In a lovely shade of burnt orange with a hint of red, Margot's tailored suit fitted her nicely. Her hair was slicked back and tucked into a purposely messy bun at the base of her neck.

"So you are the infamous writer, Saskia Alasite. Are you as evil as the media has portrayed you as?" Margot inquired, a soft smile appearing but it shifted to looking fake as soon as Mason looked to her.

"I can't very well answer that without my lawyer present, now can I? I have a reputation to maintain, after all," Saskia winked playfully before turning her eyes to Mason and trying to not cringe at his leery gaze between both herself and his own sister. She had to clear her throat to take away the desire to either be sick, or punch him.

The latter was much more desirable at the moment.

"Reputation?" Mason said, stepping to one side of her as Madam Crow excused herself.

"My reputation of being a mysterious and beautiful writer with a twisted mind, of course,"

"Twisted mind? Would you allow me the honour of picking at your mind as we dance?"

She wanted to swear to Hell and back, but covered her groan of distaste with an affirmative hum.

Mason took this as a yes and extended an elbow for her to take.

_"Countess, go to Will and Hannibal,"_ Saskia said as she took his elbow.

Regardless for her distaste of the man, she had to say he was a decent dancer. She didn't comment when his hand went a little too close to her behind, only moving so it rested comfortably on her waist. It stayed after she smiled politely and watched his gaze drop from her face to the neckline of her dress.

Humans.

Mason grinned like a sly cat as he placed a hand on the small of her back while the other held her hand softly, his grip was as if he thought she would break under his hold.

"So how did you create such a story, Saskia?"

"I watched plenty of horror movies as a child, and plenty of books,"

"Were you obsessed with horror?"

"I wouldn't say obsessed,"

"What would you say then?" He said and Saskia noticed his grip tightened on her hand but she didn't comment.

"I was always intrigued by what people feared,"

"What do you fear?"

"Spiders, mostly," she chuckled. "It does sound a little stupid but I have always hated spiders. Especially the small ones. Tarantulas I can deal with, barely."

She caught the gaze of Hannibal and Will, giving them both a look which said 'HELP ME!' within the moment it took for her and Mason to dance away again.

As this song finished, Hannibal noticed the next piece of music would be The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss.

"It seems like I am able to save Miss Alasite from the clutches of your brother," Hannibal said to Margot, who nodded in agreement and watched him quickly strut away.

"May I save you from your brother too, Miss Verger?" Will asked, holding a hand out.

"You know the Viennese Waltz?"

Will chuckled. "Hannibal made me learn it, and then Saskia taught me the Foxtrot too."

"If it gets me away from Mason, I'm happy to dance," Margot quickly took his hand as they left for the middle of the dance floor as the music began.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Hannibal quickly took Mason's place as Saskia's partner.

"Thank fuck," She said after he left out of ear rang. "I thought I would lose blood circulation in my hand. So Viennese Waltz?"

"Of course," Hannibal smiled and everyone began to dance.

As the two danced, it was as smooth as breathing.

within the floor of shades of blue, black, and silver dresses, gowns, and suits, they stood out like blood on a silver platter, somehow looking like they were meant to stand out yet no one blinked an eye when they passed without a sound.

The dress pooled and swung around her like liquid, in tune with the beats of their feet and hearts. With each turn and twirl, Saskia was beginning to become dizzy but she held on as Hannibal led.

"Not long now," Hannibal said. "There will be a pause so you can center yourself."

Everyone paused soon enough like clockwork, the ladies together in packs of four as they took in breaths while the gentlemen stood two by two. It looked like it was all practised but none of it was.

"Your dress looks nice dancing, Margot,"Saskia said as she caught her breath, taking in the black, full length dress Margot had chosen for the event. the bottom became translucent with the slight mermaid flare skirt.

"Thank you," Margot smiled before it dropped. "Here we go again."

And they were off again.

Fluid movements went into the men dipping the women slightly before a few more movements stopped the full on dancing and they twirled around and around and around until they were dizzy and finally allowed to bow at the end with heavy chests as the physical fitness and coordination needed was vast.

There were very few pairs who weren't exhausted by the end of the dance, three pairs were Hannibal and Saskia, Will and Margot, and Monsieur and Madam Crow.

And they were given a moment to relax where they switched partners and the Foxtrot began wit by Michael Buble.

This was one of Saskia's favorite dances with how playful it could be. It was a little strange when they got to the part where they switched partners, Hannibal and Will made sure to keep either Saskia or Margot within their grips.

Saskia loved the bit where all the women danced together, being the only one in a colour other than a dark blue or black. It made her stand out even more and she was thriving in it.

There was nothing like being in the spotlight.

Countess gave up with her mistress, going to one of the corners with several other animals and just napped on the huge beds and pillows provided. She was happy that the Crows were such animal people.

At Least those three were finally understanding what Countess always knew.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The music suddenly changed from instrumental and slightly classical to songs that reminded Saskia of her childhood in England. these were songs that children and teens would love to dance

"Saskia," Madam Crow was quick to stalk over to whisper into her ear. "I believe my son is looking for you. Good luck."

Her son was fourteen and loved to dance. He must have chosen the music. Madam Crow was always very lenient with her son's actions, and with his love for dancing, music was one of the things he had control over if he attended an event.

Wesley Crow was grinning widely as he quickly walked over to Saskia as soon as he caught sight of her. Mousey brown hair was slicked back and a curl sat on the side of his face, nothing moved.

"You have to dance, Miss Alasite," He tried to say as politely as possible.

"Why, hello, Mr Crow, how is your evening?" Saskia said slyly, trying to calm the young teen down a little.

He sighed, rocking on the heels of his feet. "Hello, Miss Alasite. My evening has been well, and yours?"

"Pleasant so far," "was there something you wanted to ask?"

"Can you come dance?" He said before he whined. "You know how adults are. They don't like to let other people know when they're having fun. If you dance, they'll join in!"

"Let me think…" Saskia allowed her voice to trail as she watched him pout. "Go get your brother and sister, and anyone else. I'll be there in a moment."

As soon as the music started for this particular song, Saskia, and all of the younger and less reputation conscious adults, and teens were already in a staggered group. They were ready to dance as soon as the song started.

_"Clap, clap, clap, clap your hands,_

_Alright now, we're going to do the basic step"_

It didn't matter if Saskia was wearing a long dress, corset, or heels, she would follow all of the moves and dance along with everyone else. She was very glad for the practise she got in university with how to dance in heels. She was more or less a pro now.

_"To the left,_

_Take it back now, y'all,_

_One hop this time,_

_Right foot, let's stomp,_

_Left foot, let's stomp,_

_Cha cha real smooth,"_

Everyone who danced was putting everything into the movements. Why dance if you weren't going to try? There was nothing stopping her frok putting her heart and soul into the simple and somewhat stupid dance moves. Being the most energetic and having the best stage presence there, she was forced to dance at the front as everyone else followed her moves.

" _Turn it out,_

_To the left,_

_Take it back now y'all,"_

Saskia was careful to kick her skirt out of the way, and eventually gave up and just lifted it up a little. She had two of the younger children on each side of her, beginning to instruct them aloud with the lyrics to try and encourage their participation.

_"One hop this time,_

_Right foot, let's stomp,_

_Left foot, let's stomp,_

_Cha cha now y'all,_

_Now it's time to get funky,"_

Both serial killers watched Saskia smile and grin throughout each fluid and practised movement.

"She really doesn't have any shame," Will said as he drank some of the eggnog.

Hannibal smirked in amusement. "Why should she? I haven't seen her so happy in a while. She might hate children at times and will never have any of her own, but she is a natural with them."

"She gets down to their level but doesn't try and dumb it down," Hannibal nodded at Will's words. "Just because she can be immature at times, does not mean she is childish. She just likes to have fun, in whatever manner the fun is in is up to her."

"I'm surprised she hasn't been going out more recently," Hannibal shrugged with a sigh. "But she is concerned for her own safety so she doesn't leave the house unless unnecessary. This is good for her."

"I'll get her some iced water when the song finishes, she'll need it." Will said and they continued to observe her.

Her skin was flush with energy and heat as the music continued and she followed the orders. The corset didn't constrict her breathing but with how much she was moving and how hot the room already was, she was going to overheat soon.

_"To the right now,_

_To the left,_

_Take it back now y'all,_

_One hop this time,_

_One hop this time,_

_Right foot two stomps,_

_Left foot two stomps,_

_Slide to the left,_

_Slide to the right,_

_Criss cross,_

_Criss cross,_

_Cha cha real smooth…"_

As the music finished, the people who observed the teens and young adults clapped politely as the latter scattered to corners of the room.

Saskia walked back over to the duo and Countess, giving the canine a good earrub.

"Give me a second," Saskia said, unclipping the red and silver hair clip and letting her hair fall out. She quickly redid the simply but effectively beautiful design to her hair, clipping it back up and away.

"Ice water," Will handed her the crystal glass and watched her quickly gulp it all down before Hannibal gave her back her clutch.

"Please excuse me," Saskia said. "I need to refresh my makeup it seems. It isn't polite to do so in public."

"Take Countess with you," Hannibal said. "She seems like she's becoming restless."

"Okay, come on, hun," Saskia stalked off to the one of the hallways to the sides.

The bathroom looked very much like public bathrooms you could find in very posh hotels. The whole bathroom was black spider marble with full door cubicles lining one wall and the opposite held five sinks and a huge mirror. The taps were silver and expensive looking.

Saskia stood before the second sink, putting her clutch on the marble as she rummaged through it to find her lipstick. When the doors suddenly opened, Saskia didn't even blink as the suit clad form of Margot Vergers appeared next to her, also fishing for lipstick from within the matching clutch.

"You and Mason were quite cosy, weren't you?" Margot said, looking at Saskia from within the mirror's reflection. "Word of advice, keep away from him. Unless you plan to marry him, you might want to keep the interactions to a minimum. He isn't the most patient person when he becomes obsessed with something."

"This isn't my first rodeo with men such as he," Saskia softened her voice. "I know abuse when I look at someone, Margot, and he is disgusting for doing anything like that to anyone."

"There isn't anything I can do to stop him," Margot sighed before shaking off the self pity. "This isn't the place to speak of such things. We'll have to meet up after the party, say Saturday in Baltimore? That is where you are located, isn't it?"

"It is," Saskia smiled sadly. "Let's go before Mason suspects we are plotting against him."

"He always suspects that,"

"Then we'll give him something to be suspicious of,"

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Her heels swung on her fingertips as she folded the coat over her arm, holding her phone as she replied to a text from a publishing agent. They were new and didn't know that Saskia didn't like agents but they were for Abigail's book, not hers so Saskia was willing to use a publisher for the young girl's biography.

"If you want to grab dinner, there is a restaurant on the ground floor," Saskia said as the three of them entered the elevator. "Just show them your room card. I'm gonna head to the spa for a bit after putting my coat away. My muscles are aching after all that dances and these heels."

"I can take your coat back to your room," Hannibal suggested. "You can go straight down then."

Her lip curved, handing it over easily. "Thank you."

The doors opened and Will and Hannibal got out after saying goodnight. Saskia nodded as another man got onto the elevator just as she pressed the floor button for the leisure and spa area. The man grinned, pressing a button a few floors down from hers.

"So," He started and made Saskia hum in acknowledgement. "Where did you go that warranted _this_ type of dress?"

"Party," She plainly stated in a tone that said she was done with the conversation.

With an already long night, Saskia had no patience for him and his advances.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

When they watched Saskia storm into her room without a warning, both men exchanged looks. But when Hannibal smelt blood, they almost burst into her room after her.

She paused as their eyes were alert with the passions of a hungry predator. After they saw that she was okay, besides the bloody neck and back, they no longer shared the dark look that made her want to run away.

Saskia deposited her shoes onto the ground by the bed.

"Dude decided to try to make me have a _party_ with him in his room," Saskia wiped the blood from the back of her neck with a hand, staining it red with a sigh. "I elbowed him in the nose. I think I broke his nose and bruised my elbow. None of the blood is mine. I kinda did headbutt him too."

Saskia upholstered the gun from her thigh, Luckily, her dress wasn't stained.

Hannibal took the red and silver clip off of her hair, letting it fall and he gently pressed his fingers into her scalp. "You will be fine. No harm was done besides that the clip is stained."

"I'll get it cleaned when we get back," Saskia chucked the clip onto the bed.

"You are-" Will started as Saskia took out the magazine of the gun and unloaded it completely.

"If you say I'm dressed like a hooker, you'll have one less vital item, Will," She propped her right foot onto the bed, flipping the skirt over so her thigh and holster were exposed. She gave him a simple glance as she undid the thigh holster, placing the gun on the nightstand.

"I was going to say like a deadly sex demon with all that blood," He tilted his head as he watched some on the freshly split blood drip down from her neck where most of it was. "It's strangely… intriguing?

"Intriguing, sure," Saskia rolled her eyes, before going for the bathroom, stopping at the doorway. "Can one of you undo the ribbon? I can't reach and my nails aren't able to undo the knot."

Saskia began to take her makeup off, easily wiping away the eyeshadow and the eyeliner with a wet face towel. She'd deal with the blood when she took a shower. She absently watched Will walk to stand behind her at the sinks, Hannibal stood by the doorway. His eyes followed Will's hands as they took the ribbon and slowly began to loosen the tight corset, fingers barely registering against her skin.

She kept her eyes locked with Will as he brought his lips to her shoulder, leaving the barest of open kisses against the skin. There was a hot flash over her as she gasped a little when he hit the base of the neck. Her lips curved upwards as he traced a hand up her hip.

"I don't like that Mason Verger," Will muttered with a frown. "There was something _wrong_ about him."

"I thought the same. Careful," She said as his lips neared the tiny blood splatters. "There's blood still."

"I don't think either of us cares, Saskia. Do we, Hannibal?" Will suddenly muttered into her ear, sending a heated throb straight to her centre. "Unless you do, Saskia?"

The look on each man's face was of dark, unadulterated lust. For a moment Saskia had closed her eyes, realishing with how the simple kisses just sent her into overdrive, and when she looked again, she found Hannibal on her left. He tilted her head to face him a little more, giving Will more room to nip her skin gently.

His grin just made her knees go numb but she held on as she was moved until Will still stood behind her, his back to the sink counter. He had an arm around her waist as he still mouthed her neck and shoulders, she ran a hand through his hair as she gasped when he gently bit into the meaty part. Hannibal captured the gasp easily, making her groan with pleasure.

Saskia smiled against his lips, her thumb gently tracing his jawline as they deepened the kiss. Will simply observed them kissing, slowly undoing the back of the dress until it threatened to slip off of her. The stiff material of the top gave Will enough room to let his hands roam, tweaking a nipple to make her gasp into Hannibal's kiss.

Hannibal clasped a hand onto the back of her neck, deepening the kiss again. He almost devoured her when he breathed in the feminine musk of her arousal. It was strong and multiplied as soon as Will's hands began to roam. Hannibal gently moved Saskia so Will wasn't trapped between her and the sink, the front of her dress dropped a bit more and it made him stop to admire the view.

Her ample chest was heaving, flush with arousal as her nipple peaks were taunt and begging to be touched.

"Why am I the only one half naked?" She teased, tugging at Hannibal's belt as she looked into his dark, bloody eyes. "Will, can you unzip me?"

His eyes roamed down her back until they rested on the tiny zipper. He slowly pulled it down, watching as more taunt skin was revealed until he saw the beginnings of underwear. Sending a strong suckle to her neck, just perfectly placed to make her breath waver, he quickly pulled it down to reveal the lacy g-string that barely kept her modesty. Hell, he doubted any of them cared anymore as he helped her step out of the dress, grabbing her thigh gently.

She leaned back into him a little, easily feeling his arousal hard in his trouser. Grinning when he gasped as she gently ground her ass into his groin, she still tugged at Hannibal's belt before he stopped her.

"Take her to the bed in our room," He said before giving Saskia another heated kiss. "Do you have a safe word?"

"Fox…"

As Saskia stepped forward, Hannibal captured Will's mouth without a care. They gripped each other's faces, fighting for dominance between themselves. And damn, it was hot when they split, chests heaving and eyes blazed with lust.

"Do I need to leave you both in here, while I sort my hot, wet, _dripping_ , self on your bed?" Saskia leaned towards them again, her own eyes dark with arousal as she played with a nipple. "Or do you want a little bit of help to sort your _hard_ selves out?"

She walked out without a word, going through the little door that connected both of their rooms. Saskia somehow knew that they'd take a minute or two, so she got comfortable on their bed, sitting with a leg propped up as she snaked a hand down to her numb of nerves.

They came into the room with only their tight briefs on, and as soon as they saw her playing with the little bud of nerves, they pounced. She squirmed, rubbing her thighs together for relief and gasping when they each pinned a leg under their own. They refused her relief even when she was a soaking mess. Seeing her in such a defenseless state gave them huge rushes of arousal, knowing that they were the cause.

Their hands roamed while she moaned. There was an intense and sensual look on Will's face as he gently rubbed through her underwear, already feeling how soaked she was as Hannibal sucked her nipples until they were harder than rock.

"Come on," She said between moans, groaning when Hannibal bit down on a nipple in warning. She tightened her hand around his hair, tilting his head back enough to kiss him again.

They relented in their torture, quickly shrugging off their underwear as Saskis looked on in satisfaction. Will began to kiss up one thigh, going to her hip very slowly before taking the thin sides of the dark red lacy and pulling it off of her.

She was such a lucky girl, watching two handsome men slowly stroke themselves before she went to help them. Tightly holding a cock in each hand, she stroked the length, carefully watching for any hint of extreme pleasure at any point. She ran a thumb over one cockhead while she kissed the other, quickly taking it into her mouth for a moment. She did it again when she heard them groan loudly.

Hannibal forced her back so she stood on her knees on the bed, easily getting her even more horny by gently playing with her pearl. It made her thrust her hips into his hand, groaning as the friction felt so _good._

She hadn't realised when Will moved to sit against the headboard, cock in hand. Hannibal pushed her until she was leaning against Will, his cock hard against her back with her legs spread wide and her cunt on show. She wasn't embarrassed, this was her body and she owned it.

Hannibal knelt between her legs, spreading her more until Will held one knee up and Hannibal held the other. His grin as he went down on her just made her quiver. Will muffled each groan, moan, and gasp with his mouth, gently rubbing his cock into her back.

She felt like she had gone to heaven as Hannibal was just as skillful with his tongue as he was with knives and minds. Her hips thrusted upwards but he kept her in place as he ate her out like she was a glorious dessert. Each lick made her groan because he would stop before he got to the clit, but on every third try, he would tongue around it before going down to the entrance again.

It felt like forever and yet not even longer than a second before she crashed into ecstasy. Hannibal made her ride out her climax, making his face drip as he came back up and her knees were freed. She kissed him before allowing him access to Will, her hands easily bringing their pleasure back up as the two men kissed with dark and heavy eyes.

She tried to speak but Hannibal was quick to silence her as she was forced onto her knees with her chest to the bed, her head inches away from Will's hard cock as he played with it. He passed Hannibal a condom from the bedside table. Within a moment, Saskia found herself full.

Hannibal thrusted harshly with slow and deliberate moves, he wanted to torment her a little bit more before allowing her release again. Saskia struggled to keep herself up, quickly planting her face into the bed as her ass was up in the air. Hannibal kneaded both cheeks gently before taking her by the hips, charging in as he leaned over her to grunt into her ear. This just made her wetter, if that was possible by this moment of time.

She whined with a hum, their instincts and mind wouldn't listen to words anymore, only sounds. Even with her moans, she kept her hand on Will's cock, running her hand up and down it before Will forced her hand away. He reached for another condom, easily sliding it on before lifting her from the bed. Saskia pressed her chest into his as he kissed her breath away. He was the only thing keeping her from being head first into the bed again. When Will dug his teeth into her neck, not breaking the skin and instead suckled the area, Hannibal stopped moving and panted.

She knew he wasn't done but she didn't know what stopped him. Suddenly he withdrew from her and left her feeling _empty_. She whimpered but she was so relieved when Will replaced him. Will was much more aggressive with his thrust but it wasn't painful. He dug his face into her shoulder, grasping the base of her neck as he pushed her chest to his. She wrapped her legs around his hips, easily moving with each violent thrust.

Her nails racked down his neck and back. She grinned, knowing it would leave marks. Will sucked and bit the skin, never breaking it but bringing enough force and pressure into his erotic bites to leave his own little signature on her body.

His thrusts slowed with a groan from both of them, neither wanting to slow down at all.

"Are you ready for both of us?" Will's lips traced the shell of her ear. It didn't sound like him, too dark, too dangerous yet Saskia still nodded mutely.

Hannibal kneeled behind her. Saskia's legs were still wrapped around Will, unwilling to let go unless necessary. It was pure heaven when she had both of them in her. She threw her head back and rested it on Hannibal's shoulder. He nibbled on her earlobe as each moan vibrated through her. Hannibal clamped a hand on her hip as he pushed her towards Will a little more.

Her neck was completely exposed as they trailed kisses and nibbles down her shoulders and chest. Saskia was completely vulnerable to Will and Hannibal as the latter trailed harsh kisses down the side of her throat, suckling the pulse before biting into the meaty bit of her throat with a grunt.

Each and every one of their bites and suckle would leave a mark.

She knew they were close, they pulsed in her and their thrusts began rapid and unsynced. They both nipped at her neck now, close to drawing blood but they never did. Their teeth grazed her throat and pulse, kissing each time a rapid heartbeat sent blood rushing through her.

Quickly, they synced up again and started to thrust rapidly, racing for the finish line. Saskia just loosened her body as her arms were thrown over Will's shoulders, biting her lip until it accidentally bled. Hannibal was quick to seize her lips, running his tongue over the tiny bite as blood rushed to the surface. As soon as she tasted the metallic liquid, her climax was tight in her stomach. A single brush of Hannibal's fingers against her aching pearl and Saskia was _cumming._

Each clench and pulsed of her dripping cunt was bringing them closer and closer until they brought her into another orgasm. When Hannibal brought his bloodied lips to Will, it made Saskia _clench_ unsuspectedly and brought them into ecstasy with her.

They gasped as they all separated, taking a moment to get their breaths back. They all went for the showers. When Saskia tried to step away to go into her room, one of them stopped her, steering her into the same shower as them.

Saskia scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion.

"I still have traces of blood on my skin,"

"Get your body wash and come back," Will traced his thumb down her cheek, smiling a little as she inhaled with a shake of excitement.

The trio did not leave the shower for another two hours.

They chuckled as they saw that Saskia was already beneath the covers, the navy bedding was shoved down until it just covered her ass as she laid on her front. Her eyes were half lidded, almost asleep but she waited for them.

They were quick to get back into the bed, settling under the covers as Saskia sighed loudly, exhaling completely. When Will's head touched the pillow, he was out, even if his top half was exposed. Hannibal moved the covers to lay over most of their bodies, going to his side before turning the lights off with a clap.

His hand met Will's, both gently resting on Saskia's back as they all fell asleep without a problem.

By the time they all fell asleep, Countess had managed to sneak into the room, huffing once into each male's face before plumping her behind on the bed. Since Saskia slept mostly on her front and side, Countess curled over her legs before spreading herself out at the end of the bed.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

"I suggest you don't try and wake her without some sort of coffee or cake in hand," Hannibal said lowly as he sipped at a clear cup of espresso and watched Will return from the shower. "She can be very grumpy and somewhat passive aggressive when woken up without a good reason."

"When will our plane be?" He asked as he shoved the bloody clothes into a bag.

"Half one, so we have plenty of time. It is only eight in the morning," Hannibal gestured to the tray on the table as he came closer to the bed with a cup. "Go eat something while I try and wake her."

She cuddled back into the pillow, refusing to wake up when he said her name. "Fuck off."

"I have coffee,"

"Coffee?" She mumbled into the pillow before picking her head up. "My kind of coffee?"

"Strong with full fat milk and three spoons of sugar, yes, your kind of coffee. But first," Hannibal picked up the navy silk kimono-style robe, which he acquired from her room, and held it out for her.

"I'm up!" She yawned as she got out of the bed. She shrugged on the robe, quickly tying it with another yawn. "Coffee, coffee, coffee!"

She did a little dance as Hannibal handed her the cup. When she found out about the new body in one of the hotel rooms, she gave both men a look and a shake of the head.

"I'm not even going to ask," Saskia almost muttered into her cup. "When did you even have the time?"

"Well, someone was very tired last night," Will said with a self-satisfied smirk as he looked at her neck and Hannibal's.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Will was very smug on the plane.

Saskia had reserved a quad seating on the plane, meaning that the three seats she chose were facing each other and another seat. There was plenty of legroom, for which Countess was quite glad. The dog just laid by Saskia's feet as they watched Will and Hannibal take the two seats opposite them.

Saskia was so lucky that it was cold enough to wear a turtleneck, but on the plane, it was too much. She shrugged it off, revealing the light brown bandeau top and every single hickey and bite across her shoulders and neck.

"Well," The flight attendant grinned, handing the three of them their drinks. His grin was wide and knowing as he looked at her neck. "Looks like someone had fun."

"Definitely," Saskia sipped her coffee as the two men looked just and confident and smug as this morning when they first surveyed their gifts of last night.

"Should I be scared to ask how the other turned out?" He asked, winking to her.

Saskia laughed, nodding towards the two men. "I'm the reason they've been forced to wear scarves.

"Just means you did a brilliant job," He winked again and gently touched her arm before going to the other passengers.

Saskia had enough of the baby crying, quickly undoing her seatbelt and going to find an addenant, who was very glad to point towards the upset child.

The young couple tried to calm their little boy down but nothing was working. She took one look at the fussy child and sighed in relief,

Saskia was quick to take the child from his mother, holding him so he looked over her shoulder a little as she carefully shushed it. "Sorry for not asking but even Business class could hear him. I can't imagine how bad it was here. Let me guess, first time parents?"

"How did you guess?"

"You both look tired and embarrassed by him crying," the child began to squirm in her hold, so she brought him down to her hip as she rocked gently.

"How did you get him to become quiet?"

"He's bored and agitated, not a good mix for a baby," Saskia sat down in the empty seat. "Countess, darling, come here."

Everyone began to mutter as Countess easily padded down the aisle, stopping before Saskia and wiggled into the space. The child's attention was caught by her.

"Look, puppy!" Saskia used a hand to scratch Countess' ear, showing the boy how to do it.

His parents, and everyone else, sighed in relief when he began to giggle and laugh, flying his arms. He stopped, touching Countess' ear which flicked forward, and he burst out with a giggle. Countess did this with both ears, twitching one and then the other, watching the child giggle each time she did it.

"The air pressure increases as we go up, which would start to hurt his ears and give him a headache. Making sure that they're napping by the time you depart or arrive is the easiest way to make sure they aren't affected as badly," Saskia informed them.

"Do you have any children?"

She smiled. "No. I've got her and she's enough."

Countess twitched her ears again as she closed her eyes, her head on Saskia's lap.

* * *

**First time I ever wrote a smut scene, and I'm still unsure about it.**

**This chapter took the longest to write because I just didn't want to write all the dancing I wanted, and then Mason I just hate writing him.**

**Next chapter should be out by next saturday, hopefully if it goes well!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Saskia was glad to know that both men knew that the sex they shared was just that, sex. They were all high strung that night, and frustrated from Mason Verger’s actions and figid words, and Saskia’s little blood splatter with the other man just added to the pent up desires of hunting.

Instead of hunting as Hannibal would do, they found the next best thing and that was sex. Saskia didn’t really care that one or the other, or both of them, killed the man who bothered her. She was just happy that they didn’t get caught, as if they would even with the cameras littering the halls.

She will never know how she slept through them leaving the bed. She was a light sleeper for gods’ sake. Extremely so, and even at the wind blowing a mile faster than normal, or the pipes creaked an inch, she would awake and freeze, waiting for the next sound, or if there wasn’t anything, her mind would go back to sleep. 

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Abigail took the train from University and stayed the rest of the Christmas holidays at the Lector House. Even bringing some work she had yet to finish for her veterinary major, Abigail was able to spend some quality time with everyone.

“Saskia,” Abigail greeted her with a smile. Saskia helped take her coat off and hung it up before hugging the younger woman.

“Lovely to see you. See,” Saskia said, picking at the ends of Abigail’s hair. “I told you this cut would suit you better.”

“You were right about that. Has Will arrived yet? I didn’t see his car outside,”

“No, not yet,” 

“Let me guess. Hannibal is in the kitchen, cooking up a feast?”

“Just finishing up. Will should be here soon,” Saskia winked as Countess more or less dragged the girl to the couch before laying on her, demanding scratches.

Saskia went to the kitchen to start preparing her famous cheesecake. For someone with such a large sweet tooth, cheesecake was her favorite dessert to eat. Especially when it was either raspberry ripple or white chocolate and strawberry. 

She was just putting the finishing touches when Abigail poked her head into the kitchen.

“Will’s here!” Abigail called. “He says he needs help bringing out the dog beds.”

“I’ve got it,” Saskia said as she wiped her hands down before untying the apron keeping her outfit pristine. She wore simple dark jeans and a dark blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Quickly shrugging a thick jacket on, Saskia got out in time to be shoved into the snow by furry bodies.

Will had parked his car by the street, letting the dogs out of the car and gesturing for the house. No, they didn’t listen to him when it came to the Lithuanian woman. Instead of going inside the house as he wanted, all of the dogs jumped for Saskia and made her fall into the snow before she could even say her hellos.

He grabbed as many beds as he could which was about half of the larger ones. Abigail grabbed the rest and brought the food in, only laughing at Saskia trying to get up and failing each time.

Their furry bodies were warm against her as they all jumped. Spike the pitbull was the fastest, getting to jump into her arms before making her fall backwards as the rest joined him. Icey noses pressed into her face, neck, and hands, trying to get her scent and claim her as theirs before a deep growl made them pause.

Hades, as Abigail had named the wolf dog, was the only dog to not jump and force her into the snow. The pack quickly leapt off of her, yapping as they walked into the house. Saskia was able to sit up now, giving Hades a good ruffle around the neck and ears as he knocked his head into her thigh to make her stand. 

Hannibal stuck his head out of the front door, already having taken off the apron. “Food is being served. You might want to get changed before you catch a cold, Saskia.”

“Alright,” Saskia got up from the ground and felt Hades against her legs as she walked inside.

Saskia did as asked, not wanting to become ill already. Her clothes were drenched from snow attaching itself. She dressed-up a pair of sweatpants with a light shirt and sweater. The dinner wasn’t a formal affair and they were all dressed comfy but nicely with Hannibal swearing a red sweater which matched his eyes, Will in a plaid shirt and simple trousers, and Abigail in jeans and a jumper.

“My god. Hannibal, this is gorgeous!” Abigail said as soon as she finished her mouthful of the so-called pork.

“Is it pork?” Saskia asked. “I can’t tell the difference between meats anymore.”

Hannibal grinned. “What else could it be?”

“Hannibal, don’t be rude,” Will sipped his wine, giving the male a slight roll of the eyes. “And to answer your question, Saskia, it is what you think it is.”

Human then.

“Tasty,” She hummed with a slight grin before eating one of the roast potatoes. She got up from the table. “Anyone fancy a beer or something stronger? Abigail?”

“Saskia, she’s underage,” Will shook his head.

“Don’t give me that look, Will,” Saskia said and cracked two beers open. “I was drinking by her age. Hell, I was dating Leroy the serial killer by her age. I rather her drink here where she’s safe than going out and getting drunk in unfamiliar places.”

“Have one, Abigail,” Hannibal didn’t hesitate as Will gave him a dirty look. “Saskia is right, Will. I rather have Abigail drinking safely than getting black out drunk at a bar.”

“Fine,” Will gave in. “One beer, but no tequila or anything stronger.”

Saskia placed a bottle on Abigail’s side before taking her seat.

All around the dining table, dogs slept in various positions. Countess laid with her back against Saskia’s chair legs, careful to wrap her tail near her mistress’ legs. Winston laid by Will’s feet without making a sound. Spike sat with Abigail, keeping his eye on the girl. 

Then there was Hannibal with Hades begging for food by his thigh. 

“Hannibal!” Saskia almost shouted as he fed a piece of ‘beef’ to the wolf dog. “Stop feeding him at the table. You’ll spoil his appiecte and he’ll expect to be fed every time at the table.”

“Nothing goes to waste if he eats it,” 

“Then wait until we’re all finished and then you can feed him meat,” Saskia sighed and shook her head as Hannibal then tossed a pit of flesh at Countess, Winston, and Spike. Each of them quickly chewing the meaty slabs of flesh before going back to sleeping.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The fireplace burned bright as Hannibal handed her a fresh cup of coffee. She smiled brightly and thanked him, taking the cup before sipping at the hot liquid. Only after he left did she look at the cup in disdain, knowing what was in it.

Abigail laid next to her, almost asleep as Saskia stroked the stressed out girl’s hair. Her workload was becoming a lot for her already unstable mind and Saskia wanted to help keep her half.

She swirled the cup of coffee, knowing that a foreign substance had been stirred in but she drank it nonetheless. As the days went by, Saskia could feel the effects of the drug, one made to make her calm and compliant. It didn’t take her ability to make decisions, just made her more susceptible to suggestions compared to normal. So instead of completely refusing, she would take a moment to think before deciding it was still a no.

Saskia wasn’t stupid, the drink was less sweet than normal and Saskia knew Hannibal would always put the right amount of sugar in. He just didn’t take in account the bitterness of the drug. She’d stopped taking her sleeping pills a while back, no longer finding a need for them as every nightmare she had just made her numb.

Hannibal was willing to betray her trust to keep her compliant, possibly to keep himself safe. It was possible for him to see her as a threat but she hadn’t done anything to make herself one. Perhaps it was to keep her in the place she already was. 

Perhaps.

She didn’t know nor did she really care. Why should she care? She knew what she was doing, breaking down his little costume bit by bit, trying to find the true Hannibal Lector before she decided anything.

It wasn’t like she was actually going to tell the FBI anything. She was too selfish to finish this little game of cat and mouse, or would it be fox in her case?

She grinned slowly as she watched the little fox lay before the fireplace in all its glory. Its tails, four in total now, twitched until it stretched down and flicked them all backwards with a long yawn. Those red eyes reminded her of deep pools of blood.

There was blood on her hands. 

Saskia lifted her right hand closer to her face to get a better look at it. The crimson liquid dripped down from her fingertips, leaving red ribbons going down her hand, wrist, and forearm. It stained her skin but she didn’t feel surprised, this felt right somehow. The warm substance was etched into her skin like a tattoo, forever staining her skin. And suddenly it looked as if her skin was absorbing the blood, leaving behind clean skin.

She shook her head softly, getting rid of the image before taking another sip and letting her mind become full of cotton and clouds.

Some would say she was going down the rabbit hole, creating a situation which she couldn’t control. Others would say she was making life difficult for everyone else, crafting conversations which would lead to their eventual demise. 

She wasn’t Alice nor was she the Red Queen. Saskia would leave those roles to Abigail and Freddie respectively.

Saskia Alasite was the Cheshire Cat, and she would disappear before she could get hurt again. She was there to guide Alice down the right path, which wasn’t always the morally correct way. She made life difficult for the Red Queen. what an easy feat for someone who didn’t care about the feelings of others.

To an extent, she trusted Hannibal, regardless of his actions, and Will. That in itself was dangerous for someone like her. 

But what was the point of living if you couldn’t live a little bit dangerously?

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Countess stared at her mistress curled up on the couch, sleeping peacefully as the dogs crowded around her form. The canine knew her status in the pack, so Countess didn’t care when she saw Hades place his head into the crook of Saskia’s arm and draped a paw over one of her curled ankles. Abigail had laid into Saskia’s side and also fell asleep without a worry, Hades draped his body over Abigail’s legs to keep the humans warm.

“They’re going to be in pain if they sleep like that,” Will said as the pair came back into the living room. 

“Saskia has a nasty habit of falling asleep anywhere and everywhere,” Hannibal mentioned. “She still gets nightmares but Countess wakes her up when they get bad.”

“Apparently Abigail’s roommate wakes her up if she has a nightmare,”

They both softly smiled. Abigail had spoken of her roommate with bright eyes and a beaming smile. They knew that this friendship between them was good for her.

Hannibal nodded. “Let’s get them into their beds before they wake up with sore necks. Hades, off.”

The wolf dog simply blinked at Hannibal, only getting up with a slight huff when he snapped his fingers and pointed to his feet. 

Saskia frowned when she felt a weight being lifted off of her, opening her eyes before hissing as she accidently looked into the fire. She rubbed her eyes with a yawn, careful to keep quiet as she watched Will pick up Abigail bridal style.

“Bedtime?” She asked as Countess jumped to her side as she stood and stretched her limbs with another yawn. 

“It’s just gone midnight,” Will said softly. “We thought it best to get you both into actual beds before you wake up sore tomorrow. You weren’t in the most comfortable position.”

“I will be soon,” She smiled softly as Will left to put Abigail in her room. Saskia whistled quietly enough as to not wake Abigail but the dogs still heard her and began to trot after her. “Say goodnight to Will for me, Hannibal.”

“I will. Goodnight, Saskia,”

“Night.”

Hannibal watched Saskia’s retreating form as she slowly stepped upstairs with sleepiness still in her limbs. He would never understand why animals liked her as much as they did, always willing to follow her commands even if they didn’t fully understand her. Perhaps it was the instinctual likeness of her mind compared to theirs, the need to stay alive, to stay safe, to stay fed. 

Protect those below you, give respect to those equal to you, and fight any who opposed you.

Hannibal didn’t know where he stood with her, nor did Will know. Saskia was as predictable as a tropical storm, quickly gaining rage and power before destroying everything in her path, before slowly calming down to a simple breeze. Appearing and disappearing just as suddenly as a blink of an eye.

He needed to keep her compliant for the time being as he tried to figure out her motives. He didn’t believe she was simply living as the days went by, knowing the secrets she did, and holding her own behind the non rusting steel and silver cage that was her mind.

Did she have an animal, a blood-crazed beast inside her like they did? 

Both men knew that she had a vindictive side, a bloodthirsty lust for those who went against her and harmed those she deemed hers, but to what lengths was she willing to go before she lost herself to the madness?

They hoped she didn’t let the shadows of her mind consume her. They wanted her to become part of the shadows, to  _ become  _ the shadows. There was no difference between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter and the shadows of society. 

There weren’t many who could become one with the shadows without falling into the madness of their own minds. Abigail was on the verge of falling but they were there to stop her, or at least cushion her fall down the rabbit hole.

“The pack followed her, didn’t they?” Will asked as he came back downstairs, his keen eyes quickly taking in the empty dog beds in the living room.

“Of course, they did,” Hannibal smiled as Will also grinned and tutted softly at the thought.

“Dogs love her,” Will sighed as fatigue finally seemed to settle in his bones. “Let’s go to bed before I fall asleep where I stand.”

“Let us go then,” Hannibal almost herded Will up the stairs, watching as Will narrowed his eyes playful before doing as told.

They stopped outside Saskia’s door, looking in as it sat ajar on the doorframe. Saskia was curled up in the middle of the bed, the duvet over her legs as she slept in a matching blue pair of bralette and shorts. The dogs seemed to sleep around her, all in various stages of sleep with Spike trotting off to Abigail’s room, but Countess, Hades, and Winston seemed to be the ones keeping watch. 

Those three were scattered around Saskia. Countess to Saskia’s right as the woman held onto the fur of her companion. Hade was more or less being used as a pillow to cushion her arms, his head curled until his muzzle laid on the very edge of her head. Winston laid against her back, his head peering over her hip as he laid his head on her.

They watched the pair at the door, unmoving and unreacting as the two males grinned before closing the door a bit more to give her more privacy, leaving it ajar enough so if the dogs wanted to leave, they could. Both Hannibal and Will doubted those dogs would leave her side without good reason.

They doubted even death could break those kinds of bonds.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Saskia had the rare ability of never needing leashes when it came to walking dogs.

After waking up at the crack of dawn, which was actually quite late for the sun to come up but she supposed that it had to do to the fact it was mid winter, Saskia dressed in her winter running outfit and wrote a note to place on the kitchen fridge in case she wasn’t home in time for everyone else to awaken. Grabbing leashes in case she needed to go into town before coming back, she jogged to the nearest hiking area, the very same place where she was stabbed a while ago.

She had a thing for running, or rather sprinting like her life depended on it. Gods, she loved a good chase. Keeping a slow enough pace that the smaller dogs could keep up, she still sprinted ahead with the dogs that could.

The rushing of adrenaline in her bloodstream was a great welcome. She hadn’t run in a few weeks, at least to the normal extent she liked to get to before even thinking of slowing down. 

There was nothing compared to adrenaline and the thrill of the hunt. It was just ingrained into her DNA. Depending on her mood and who she was with, she was either the hunter or the hunted. 

The hunter would stalk and tease the prey until she got what she wanted, be it sexual or mentally. Or the hunted would run and hide, waiting for the other to find her and take what they wanted.

Either way, consent was given before the primal scene and she would receive what she wanted in one way or the other.

A hare, long eared and alone appeared in Saskia’s keen eyesight and the thrill was upon them instantly. It wasn’t like Saskia was actively hunting it to kill and eat it, no, she just wanted the thrill of the hunt. The adrenaline that would course through her veins was enough motivation to begin chasing after the hare. The dogs followed, knowing this was a play chase and no real harm was intended.

Dodging each tree trunk, leaping over the roots, ducking below branches, Saskia followed the hare with ease as she let the frustrations of not being able to think properly go. They drained out of her with each pump of adrenaline filled blood, letting her instincts take over for a few minutes. 

She needed to relax like everyone else. While she was an extraordinary woman with a sharp wit and sly tongue, she was still human and could burn out after a time. She couldn’t keep pushing herself beyond her limits without some sort of consequence, so her runs were helping.

There was too much stress with trying to handle Will and Hannibal and not allow them to see the true her. Too dangerous, too early, too unready.

Ever since she was young, she knew she was different. She got in trouble as a child because she didn’t act in the correct manner as society wanted her to. Her mother even had her tested for autism which she did show some characteristics for but she didn’t have it, Saskia had something completely else. 

With a great lack of empathy and remorse, and the charm of a con man, Saskia would regret to call herself a sort of psychopath. By her own research, she had found this out at around the age of seventeen and had herself privately tested. Just because she was a psychopath, did not mean she could not feel emotions like fear, anxiety, or happiness, it was just to a lesser extent.

Her normal state was usually spent with a numb feeling which she considered normal for herself. Her happiness was a warm tingle and her sadness was icey shivers down her back. Fear was warm, uncontrollable shivers which she hated.

Thinking back, perhaps her mother could tell that Saskia wasn’t normal and so acted upon it. Of course, this didn’t excuse her abusive actions and words towards her own child. It wasn’t Saskia’s fault she felt emotions to a lesser degree than normal people, nor her fascination with the darker side of society and gore.

Lying was just part of her personality, especially to people like Alana but she had never outright lied to Will or Hannibal. For some reason, she found solace in her friendship with the two men. It was warmly welcome. She liked to not have to hide. She liked being herself around them.

The cold air was fresh against her face as she breathed in the misty air. By the time she had finally stopped running, the night had turned to early morning and the sky lightened enough to show off the curves and creaks of the forest.

Losing sight of the hare, the lucky thing jumped into a hole, Saskia guessed it was time to go home.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The following saturday, just as agreed with Margot Verger, Saskia made her way to the lovely little cafe on the corner of the busy high street. She rocked an oversized cream sweater, black jeans and boots combo. The snow still fell but not as badly as it did just before christmas, now a light sprinkle dropped from the sky.

“Oh,” Margot smiled as soon as she saw Countess and her mistress enter. “I didn’t realise she was a service dog.Well, it explains why she is so well-behaved.”

“Even before I got her, she was intuned with what I wanted. Thing is, she hates people and even growled at me the first time she met me.” Saskia smiled in memory. “I knew I just had to keep this one.”

Countess whined, shoving her head into Saskia’s hand and almost begging for an ear rub. After ordering a coffee to go, as Margot had suggested, the three females were walking down the snow covered roads and streets as people prepared themselves for new years. 

“You, a writer, Hannibal Lecter, a psychiatrist, and Will Graham, a profiler,” Margot asked as they walked. “What is the story behind that?”

“I’m living with Hannibal until they can find Leroy Harris,” Saskia smiled. “He left a body in my house a few months back. I was supposed to go into witness protection because I was the best person to be a testifying witness to get him behind bars or the death sentence.”

“How did you come to live with Mr Lector then?”

“I refused to hide again,” Saskia’s long coat was dark maroon and flowed in the cold wind as she huddled into it a bit more. She shrugged. “I hid my identity for years while I wrote those books. I won’t hide again unless I need to. Hannibal knew that I was stubborn and would completely refuse, so he suggested that I live with him until this is sorted.”

“Why is Leroy Harris copying your book?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never truly known,” Margot then turned to Saskia with a raised eyebrow before nodding with understandment.

“From what I’ve seen of you, you may have some ideas about how to get rid of my brother,”

“Maybe.”

They both held smiles.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

“How’s the law degree coming along?” Alana asked at their next session but it was less of a session than a meet up during a free lunch they both had. They had just visited a nearby cafe on the FBI academy campus, walking back to the academy with plenty of time to spare before Alana’s next class.

Their breaths steamed as the weather hadn’t let up since christmas, the snow still falling into early and mid January days. 

“Quite well,” Saskia said and hugged the grey reusable cup of burning coffee to her chest as she felt its warmth through her thick scarf. “I was thinking of going back to Lithuania for a week or two.”

“Did something happen?”

“No,” She smiled softly. “Just feel a little suffocated here. At least there I would be able to go out without looking over my shoulder all the time.”

“It would be good for you, I’d think,” Alana nodded. “Why don’t you take Will? He’s been quite, stress isn’t the right word, but he’s been busy these last few months. Enough to make someone irritated and angry to a point. He’s been snappy recently.”

Saskia said she would ask Hannibal his opinion of this before asking Will.

Saskia didn’t want to intrude on their relationship in any way. She exhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding when Hannibal nodded at her question that evening when they began to cook dinner.

“I think it would be a marvelous idea for you and Will to get away for a bit,” Hannibal said after pausing his stiriung before getting back to it. “Even at the charity ball, he was quite tense because of the amount of people. The Vergers didn’t help either.”

“Yeah, he isn’t a people person,” Saskia stood to the side as Hannibal made dinner for them, a simple hot stew. “I wanted to make sure you would be alright with it.”

“Why would I oppose it?”

“Will made it sound like you both were together, he even used the word monogamous,” Saskia shrugged. “I didn’t want you or him to think I was trying to split you two up. I might be ruthless in my pursuit but I’m not a homewrecker.”

“Your pursuit in what?”

She paused to take a sniff at the circulating air. “That smells good.”

“You’ve changed the subject,” Hannibal said but otherwise didn’t comment. “But yes, Will and I are monogamous, with the exception of christmas since we both agreed to it and you did too. I wouldn’t oppose to doing it again, nor would I shame Will and you if you so decided to have sex again. Safe and consueal is just the main thing.”

“Definitely. Being safe and having safe words is key, even if you’re engaging in vanilla sex. Sometimes no and stop fall on deaf ears when engaging in high and fast acts and scenes.”

“Even in normal relationships, communication is key,” Hannibal said as he dished out the food into bowls and added the finishing touches before nodding for her to follow as he brought both bowls to the dining room. “Some people understand others better than normal. Some need verbal cues, others need physical ones.”

“Physical cues don’t lie as often as verbal ones,” Saskia said, pouring the wine into Hannibal’s glass before reaching hers, thinking for a moment and taking a breath before pouring herself a small amount. “But both can be used to manipulate others. Cheers.”

They began eating.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Will Graham will never know how Saskia was able to always convince him to get on a plane and travel to wherever she asked him to. Wait, he knew why. She more or less said that either he would come with her for two weeks or Hannibal will find a way to get him to the theatre that was playing a rare and exceedingly hard to find opera Hannibal had been wanting to see for a while.

Will was not going to the opera regardless of what Hannibal said, and just to get the cannibal off of his back, Will agreed to a small holiday. Of course, both men needed to discuss what was going to happen in the upcoming weeks, Hannibal even relayed what Saskia had told him and her concerns.

What happened would happen, and both men wouldn't put it against her or themselves. Sometimes things like that just needed to happen to get it out of their systems and minds before they became enticed by the almost overwhelming thoughts and temptations.

Temptations in their lives were not a good thing unless it was a permanent one.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

"How are you this rich, Saskia?" Will asked as they got into a Mercedes-Benz G Class he was sure wasn't yet released to the public.

Saskia swung open the door to reveal the matte black leather seats and let Countess into the back seat. She quickly stepped onto the side step of the black car before getting fully in. "Daddy dearest was from old money but he never spent most of it. With everyone else dead on his side besides some cousins he wasn't too fond of, I got everything when he died. Perks of being the only child."

Will nodded as he sunk into the warm leather as Saskia turned on the heating in the car and even inside of the seats themselves, warming him throughout. "My mother left my father and I when I was young. I can barely remember her. My father is dead now, died a few years back. I don't know about my mother, where she could be isn't any of my concern. And siblings, I don't think I have any. Do you like your siblings?"

"Well…" Saskia quickly glanced at him as they began the journey to the village.

Saskia turned the screen wipers on as the snow changed to rain, diminishing the large amount of snow on the roads to mere puddles and mounds of snow in random areas on the edges of the streets. The rain was soft and gently made sounds of hitting the dark car as they travelled away from the nearest airport and onto a rural road.

Getting to the house, they dropped their stuff in their respective rooms. Saskia took the Master bedroom as always, some of her old winter clothes still in the wardrobe. Saskia suggested that they go to the local tavern to get food. The house wasn't used to being used and so everything needed time to heat up before they could use the stove and such.

"It really started chucking it," Saskia commented as she brought up the furred hood of her coat after undoing her seatbelt. "Come on. I called earlier to book a booth."

"You planned this," Will narrowed his eyes knowingly as she smiled sheepishly and got out of the car, slamming the door shut.

"Maybe. I knew the house wouldn't be ready for food making, I planned ahead," She shrugged as they entered the place at a slighter higher speed to get out of the snow. Her toes were freezing in her boots and fluffy socks.

A dozen wooden tables seated six people each, sometimes full of food and other times full of empty glasses. The bar stood to one corner, going against one of the walls before ending. The rest of the wall was taken up by a table that seated just under two dozen. Two of the other walls were covered in dark booths and tables.

"Saskia!" A male voice called from the bar. " _How are you doing?"_

Will blinked as Saskia grinned brightly and quickly strutted to the bar, encasing the large man in a hug. Will smiled softly as he saw Saskia plaster on a smile that wasn't fake, a rarity for Saskia as she didn't like people all that much.

Even as Will listened to them speak in Lithuanian, he understood great parts of it and could piece together what he didn't. He'd have to thank Hannibal for the lessons he was forced to take. It was either Lithuanian or Italian, and Will wasn't fond on the latter.

" _I'm doing well!"_ Saskia said back. The man clasped her on the back before bringing up two steaming cups of hot liquid. Saskia picked both up as they walked over to a booth with a little white plack. She sat down and Will followed, sitting across from her.

"What will you have?" The man asked as he also followed to the table, barely an accent on his tongue as he spoke the English fluently. A barely there smile on his face as he watched Saskia.

"Beetroot soup, no meat," Saskia answered straight away. "Then cheese pierogi."

"You?" The man looked to Will, his nice face suddenly falling into a cold glare.

"The same," Will said, unsure of what to get as the menus the man handed out were not in English. "But with meat."

The man's eyes were dark and uncaring as he stared at Will with an unamused look. Will just sent the same look back and added a raised eyebrow to challenge him.

"Stop it." Saskia brought the hot cup of tea to her lips as she gave them both a nonsense glare. "Viktor, this is Will. He's been helping with Leroy Harris' case. He's a good friend so stop trying to intimidate him. Will, this is Viktor, my GodFather."

"I didn't know you were religious," Will spoke as Viktor called out their order in Lithuanian to the other person manning the bar.

She shook her head, placing the cup down as Will picked his up and sipped at it. "I'm not but my family was. Viktor's my father's best friend and since my mum and _Močiutė_ wanted me christened, Dad compromised." She began to fiddle with the little blue ring on her left thumb.

Will knew this meant she was thinking of something she didn't like, a nervous habit of hers. And when she began to pick at her natural nails —she had the false set of nails taken off a few days prior to let her natural nails grow and heal— Saskia was becoming angry but felt the need to contain it.

She always prefered to not let the brewing storm inside her show until it was time.

To distract her, Will tried to pronounce the foreign word, getting quite close. Probably by Hannibal's teachings. Saskia explained that it meant grandmother or grandma, before their food was brought to them and Viktor tossed Countess an absurdly large cow thigh to chew on as they ate.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

When a new man decided to slide in next to Will, giving Saskia a smirking grin of which Will wanted to slice off, Will noticed one thing;

Saskia's eyes would darken to allure her prey in before she realised she needed to keep the beast inside of her cage.

Her eyes darkened but her lips curved into a beautiful smile worthy of the gods as she flashed her teeth in a grin. Saskia flicked her hair back, bringing attention to it and the neck she exposed. There was just something about the throat, something primal and inviting that could tease with the smallest glance and glimmer of it.

Saskia cupped her left hand on the back and side of her neck, hiding it away a little as she played with the cup's handle with the other. She leaned into her hand, finding comfort in knowing she wasn't exposed.

" _Hello, Yasha,"_ Saskia greeted her old friend. Saskia knew him since she was in her late teens and still visited her dad every summer.

" _Sasha!"_ He beamed as he greeted her with her nickname, hooking an arm behind him on the booth's edge as the other went to sweep his hair away from his face. " _It's been almost ten years, hasn't it?"_

She nodded. " _Fourteen years this week."_

" _Just as precise as always. Why don't you ever visit?"_ He pouted. " _Viktor always knows when you're coming but you never stay long enough to visit."_

Saskia tilted her head, rubbing her neck a little before summoning the right words that weren't _None of your fucking business,_ or _Because I don't ever fucking want to._ She knew she couldn't just outright say these things, she had a reputation to uphold in Lithuania, in her father's little village.

" _I'm busy."_ And she didn't expand on that. There was a reason for her yearly trip, but this year's trip was longer compared to the single day she usually stayed.

Yasha jutted a thumb towards Will, giving him an up and down before looking at Saskia with an unimpressed look. " _Is this the best America has to offer? You know you can do better here."_

Saskia didn't smile but squinted her eyes in displeasure as she sipped at her drink. " _He's better than you and he doesn't pass out at the sight of blood."_

Yasha paused, his smirk vanishing as he slammed his hand on the table and pointed his finger at her. He became slightly red in the face as he fumed. " _That was once!"_

" _You literally hunt and skin animals for a living and you can't handle blood?"_ She smiled as his frown turned to a matching smile before it descended back into a smirk.

His next words sent rage storming through her. " _And you have a psychology degree but you couldn't see that you were being abused! What would your dad say? "_

How dare he mention him?

He had no right to mention her father, no right to refer to him in way or form.

Hot, blinding rage filled her. Her vision narrowed until she only saw the red flush of blood within Yasha's skin. It would only take very _little_ pressure to break his skin, letting the crimson flow and stain his skin.

What a pretty sight he'd be.

All decked in torn clothes and broken bones. Blood would look lovely caked on his pale skin, staining it a brilliant red without very much effort. Maybe a stab wound here or there, one right into his heart so she could feel the pulse of his heartbeat in the blade before twisting it out.

His eyes would be glazed over by the time she would be done with him, torturing him for hours would be the fun bit before she would carve him up like a prized swine for slaughter. What a meal he cou—

"Saskia." Will's even voice brought her back into seeing reality again.

She exhaled through her nose, nostrils flaring as she tried to keep her anger in and not let her want to take the knife closest to her plate and stab Yasha through the eye. Her expression was even. " _Don't you dare bring him up."_

Yasha was ready to put a hand on her shoulder. " _Or what? You need to— ARCK!"_

As soon as his hand got too close to her, Saskia snatched it out of the air and bent it backwards until she felt resistance. If she bent it back an inch more, she could do some serious damage to his muscles and ligaments in his hand and arm. Oh, the rush of power knowing she could do this within a moment's pause, and without hesitation if she knew she could get away with it.

Saskia pulled his arm until he was completely out of the booth seat and she could stand face to face with him, glaring harshly and without any warmth in her eyes as she brought his face closer to hers. She bent his wrist back half an inch, enough to strain his muscles as she carefully watched the pain enter his eyes as he gritted his teeth.

" _I will break your wrist before snapping your neck like you do those birds you say you hunt,"_ Saskia let his arm go with a push, letting his tumble to the floor.

"Don't even think about it, dog," Viktor yelled from the bar as soon as he saw Countess cock a leg to piss on Yasha. He saw Countess' pout and pointed to the door. " _Go do that outside or in his car. Not in my place. Yasha, you can leave. You've caused enough trouble for today."_

" _What?"_ He almost screamed, clutching his arm closer to himself as Saskia sat back down and resumed eating. " _She's the one who started it! Why do I have to leave?"_

" _Because you know Saskia doesn't like the mention of her father,"_ Viktor gestured to the door with a wide arm. " _Just leave. I don't want to ask again."_

Yasha left, only after trying to step on Countess' tail which the dog almost bit him for. Viktor had to grab him by the scruff of his shirt and physically walk him out of the building and straight into the waiting snowstorm.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

"Put your goddamn coat back on, Will!" Saskia shouted from the back door, a heavy blanket thrown over her shoulder with a thick turtleneck and hoodie already on. "I swear if you catch a cold…"

"I won't," He said, lifting the axe once again and swiftly cut the log in half before taking both sides and chucking them to the growing pile. "The storm will be here soon. Since someone refuses to cut the wood —"

"I said I wanted to get one of the village lads to do it!" Saskia snapped, huddling the blanket so it sat right next to her neck as her breath began misty in the air. "Viktor knows some boys who could do it for a bit of cash."

"Why pay someone when I could do it?"

"You are going to get a cold, Will, I know it."

Will had decided to wear thick jeans with a simple red tartan shirt, which Saskia thought brought out his muscles quite nicely, with a winter vest over it to keep his torso warm. His coat laid on the ground next to him, having got too hot while swinging the axe.

She shook her head but kept him company by staying by the door, the blanket still clutched close as they spoke.

Within three days, the snowstorm had captured most of the village in a metre of snow, which was extreme even on the heaviest of winters. Saskia, ever the prepared, had known that the power would go out in the village as it did every time it got too cold for too long, and had made sure that there was enough heated water for showers and baths. The power outage would only last a day or so but the temperatures dipped dangerously at night.

The fireplace burned beautifully as they placed the blankets in front of it.

Will had gone down into the basement to get more wood, placing the logs next to the side of the fireplace. He took a seat next to Saskia, letting her throw the blanket over his legs as Countess moved to lay over his feet as well.

"There are barrels in the basement," Will said, watching Saskia pause in her writing. "What kind of stuff is in that? It looks old."

"Did it have an A and the other have an M on them?" She didn't look up but fiddled with the black pen between her fingers..

"Yes," He leaned over to the side, grabbing the hot drink Saskia had prepared a few minutes ago. Carefully taking a sip of the burning tea, he said, "Gold A and then a F in a circle on the other. What is it?"

"It's Starka, a type of alcohol. The A stands for my name and the F for my dad's. Used to be made for when a child was born into a family and drank when the child got married," Saskia said without pause as she went back to writing in the spiral notebook again. "I'm my dad's only kid. It's tradition for the father of the household to brew it after a child is born, to seal and bury it. The ground around here isn't good for any type of burial. Too hard. So he did the next best thing, placed it in the basement until I would get married."

"Did you ever get married?"

"Will, you know this." As Will didn't relent on his question or the meanasiing eyebrow twerk that made her smile, Saskia continued. "Samson proposed and I panicked. Gods, I panicked. I was scared but I knew my worth and he wasn't anywhere near my level. I outed him and his bullshit to the whole restaurant before storming away. I didn't even go home."

"Where did you go then?"

"Storage locker," She exhaled as she paused her hand. "I had plenty of money he didn't know about. And I always kept run away cash in stock. I grabbed my laptop from his house, took my first edition of Alice In Wonderland and fled."

"Why does the A represent your name?"

"The name I was christened with was Alexandria, Sasha is a shortened version, and to distance myself even more from my family, I changed it to Saskia. It's more or less a nickname. Like Will is short for William, and sometimes Bill can be too," Saskia looked up. "Is your name actually Will or William?"

He smiled, looking into the fire for a moment. "My full name _is_ Will Graham. What about you? What's your full name?"

"I was born with the name Alexandria Alasite," Saskia nodded softly to herself.

"When did you change it?"

"I'd been known by Saskia for a few years, a nickname. After Dad died, I decided that it was time I severed the bond with my mum's side of the family," She shuddered a breath, slight tears appearing in her eyesight but she blinked them away. "In a few days is my dad's death day. I haven't visited since just after I left Samson."

"Then why did you decide to come this year?"

"Samson didn't approve of me visiting the grave. Lucky for him, he had both parents still alive and both sets of grandparents. He didn't understand death," Saskia watched as Countess let out a shuddering sigh of relief as she fell swiftly asleep in the warmth of the fire. "I visited after my mother's funeral, because it had been a few years since I came. I came this year because of you, Hannibal, and Abigail."

"What?" Will asked, sitting up a bit straighter. He turned to face her better as his eyes flickered between hers, Saskia watched the flames of the fireplace instead of looking at him. "What do you mean because of us?"

"When you saw Samson Tyler's body, what did you _see_? What did you interpret from it?"

"There was only evidence of two people there, and neither reminded me of you," Will began, looking somewhere into the distance as a smug little smile appeared on his lips. It curled up to show teeth. "It was like you put on a costume and mask, hiding yourself from me. I wouldn't have known you were one of the people unless Hannibal had told me. How did you do that?"

She hummed softly. "Naturally, my emotions are dulled. Think of them as coal, dull and brandless. The situation would be the spark that would ignite the fire. But the fire is mainly instinct, but when it gets too hot, when the flames turn to blue, is when I feel proper emotions. I have no shame. I have no guilt. Well…" She clicked her tongue. "Only when I get caught but that's mainly because I did something stupid to get caught."

"Did you ever get tested for anything when you were younger?"

"If you try and psychoanalyse me, you will find yourself smothered with a pillow tonight," Saskia, however, nodded. "I thought I was a psychopath as a teen, but such a thing doesn't technically exist. I've got a mental disorder called AntiSocial Personality Disorder. I know right from wrong but I just _don't care_ if society says something is good or bad _._ Going into the philosophical side of things, life has no meaning. Life is not a right, it's a privilege that many abuse."

"This is the kind of conversation I have with Hannibal in our sessions," Will scoffed. "I understand. Killing is not inherently good or bad. Hannibal kills because he is doing a good deed for the society by getting rid of the rude."

"And that guy at christmas?"

"The way he looked at you getting into the elevator just pissed me off,"

Saskia laughed at that, making Will chuckle too. Countess jumped up at the sudden noise of laughter, whining loudly as she realised what happened and went back to laying again. All of them turned quiet for a few minutes.

She felt the familiar wave of chills as she began to think of the best way to lure Yasha into the forest. Gazing off into the fire, she began to think. With how heavy the snow is, it wouldn't be hard to fake an animal attack. Especially if he was found in the forest with several chunks of him missing, the local police wouldn't think much of it. They wouldn't even suspect her because it was so close to her father's death day.

"You've got your sadistic face on," Will suddenly said. "What are you thinking of?"

"How to lure Yasha into the forest and stage an animal attack," Saskia said without pause. When Will stayed silent, she turned to him to see a surprised look on his handsome face. "What? You asked what I was thinking of and that was exactly it."

The surprised look stayed on until it dropped into amusement. "How would you do it?"

"Yasha isn't the most prepared, and from what I remember he doesn't live that far away from the forest but too far from the village to travel in this kind of weather. He would need to get more wood eventually. It would be so easy to take him in the forest because it is utterly soundproof because there are no houses nearby beside this one. If I wore men's shoes and added a limp, no one would suspect me."

"You've really thought this out, haven't you?"

"I'm a writer, Will. I can make these seronies in my head within a heartbeat," Saskia took her own cup of tea and sipped at it. "You and Hannibal aren't the only ones with eidetic memories, and you aren't the only one with an overactive imagination."

He grinned faintly. "With Yasha, do you actually plan to do it?"

"Will you stop me?"

"I'd help you if you wanted me to,"

"Yes, please."

"And our alibis?"

"His body won't be found for days," Saskia smiled. "He will be frozen within twenty four hours and he isn't expected in for work for the next few. As long as we are seen around town and interacting with the locals, we won't be suspected. I'll even go to church to show the locals that I'm here because of my father."

"When?"

"You see," Saskia grinned a beaming smile and lifted her phone. "I got a message that Yasha needed to get firewood, and he has to ask me to go into the forest to get it because I'm in the country. He plans to go tonight."

"How long do we have?" Will flicked the blanket away from him.

"Two hours until he gets into the forest," Saskia checked her watch before letting Will help her up.

"Plenty of time then."

Their sadistic little smiles just made Countess chuff. She got up from where she was laying, knowing she would have some part in this. Replacing her in front of the fireplace was that blasted fox, now swishing five tails with a little smile on its lips.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Yasha donned his hunting gear and rifle.

Even if he wasn't actively hunting, there were creatures in the forest that he couldn't take on by himself. It was one of the only reasons he texted Sasha, to make sure that someone knew where he was and that he got back safe. He didn't really want to ask for her permission to use the forest wood, but since she was back in the country, he had to ask her before even going in. All of the forest had been Fabius' and since he died, it went to Sasha as she was his daughter.

He trudged through the thick snow, dodging the roots sticking out of the ground by muscle memory alone. He had been through this forest enough times to know it off by heart. With the full moon in a few days, there was plenty of natural light so he didn't need to bring his torch.

That was his first mistake. The second was when he didn't heed the number of crows and the warning they brought.

_One for Sorrow._

Instead, he continued to walk on in the snow. It took a good fifteen minutes for him to reach the area he prefered to take the wood from. This bit of forest remained his little place. He doubted even Saskia knew of this place.

_Two for Mirth._

He placed his rifle down on a nearby, letting himself have more movement as he had to undo the axe from his belt. Choosing one of the skinnier trees because he knew it would be easier to chop, he began to cut it down.

_Three for a funeral._

There was the howl of the wind that could be mistaken for wolves but there were no wolves native to here, at least to his knowledge so he ignored it. The snow still continued to pour slowly. It would start up in the morning again.

_Four for a Birth._

The chills ran down his back violently as he heard the howl of the wind again, along with the hoot of owls. The caw of the birds didn't register in his mind, making him think there weren't any crows at all.

_Five for Silver._

He paused when there was the crunch of snow to one side. He turned his head to look at the small deer, antlers bloody as it shed the lining of it. Only male deer shed their antlers in the winter, making the deer a stag.

_Six for Gold._

He reached for the rifle, coming empty handed. Looking down, he couldn't find it but instead found canine footprints. He doubted a wolf could have taken it and so thought he must have placed it somewhere else. He looked around, first using the moonlight as a guide.

_Seven for a secret that won't ever be told._

He didn't see the three shadows behind him where there should have only been one.

_Eight for Heaven._

The sharp pain started in his neck, right near the jugular as the blade stood out of his throat. He gasped, tasting the blood in his mouth as fear filled him and made him take out the knife. The dark figure behind him became clearer as he turned around with a hand on his throat. He lunged for them.

_Nine for Hell._

He was restrained by two arms under his armpits, hooking over his shoulders to hold his head in place. The moonlight reflected off of their eyes beautifully. He knew those eyes. The cold, dead look inside yet they held the fiercest kind of heat that he had only seen in the wolves he illegally hunted. Her teeth were beautifully white as she smiled, the blood staining her hands as he struggled within her grip.

_Ten to the Devil wherever he may dwell._

He also didn't see the dog until it was too late.

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Saskia had placed her hair up into a tight bun because she wasn't stupid enough to leave it down. Her clothes could be burned if needed. The blade she could clean.

Will kept him restrained in a type of headlock, his own hair had been slicked back. Using his strength and height over the man, it didn't take long to get a good grip on him as Will nodded for Saskia to continue.

She used the knife to cut into his throat a few more times, making him scream and thrash in pain. Will held him and felt the blood splatter onto his bare elbows and forearms, even saw some go onto Saskia's face. When a bit got on her lip, she just licked that tiny splatter away.

"You can drop him," Saskia said after he stopped struggling and began to become faint with blood loss. "Countess, finish."

Countess pounced onto the man, quickly baring her teeth and biting into his arm to cause more pain. She thrashed with it in her mouth, tearing the muscle and skin before going for his throat. It didn't stain her muzzle and her paws were clean because she was a good predator.

"You really shouldn't have mentioned my father," Saskia muttered as the knife dripped blood onto the crisp snow. There was already a huge bloody mess around him as Countess got his jaw open and bit his tongue.

Will handed her Yasha's phone, already open and on with a little help from Yasha's dying fingers. He just smiled as he watched the life quickly drain from him, Yasha even tried to grab Will but he stepped out of the way and sent a swift kick to the kidneys. Yasha gasped and groaned but couldn't speak.

Will crouched to look into his scared eyes. "Cat got your tongue? Or really a dog ate it. Good girl, Countess."

Saskia used a clean hand and typed a message.

_All safe and back inside. How does lunch tomorrow sound like? I want to apologise for Thursday's incident._

It was sent to her own phone which was left at the house.

She wiped the screen clean and made sure to leave some of Yasha's fingerprints on it before tucking it back into a pocket.

They left him like that, alone and dead in the middle of the forest with bites that looked like they came from a wolf or something.

The little fox looked at the body with disdain as the wolf appeared next to her and the stag right behind him. They wished Hannibal was here for this.

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She didn't expect to be forced up against a wall as soon as they teached the house.

Saskia gasped into the hungry kiss, her bloody hands touching his face and jaw. She smiled into the kiss as she saw the marks her fingers left on his jaws and cheek, knowing as Will began to kiss down her jaw and onto her neck that he left a small trail of blood that was from his neat and maintained beard. It tickled her skin and sent warm goosebumps over her, letting Will know that Saskia enjoyed this sensation and so nuzzled into the crook of her neck, where her throat and jaw met.

His arms caged her in on both sides of her head, making her tilt her head up as Will left tiny bites on her. After a few minutes of this, one of his hands snaked down to her ass and pushed her forward. She groaned into his mouth, biting at his lip which made him squeeze her closer and grind his hard on into the front of her.

"Nah, nah," Saskia was barely able to say as Will tried to silence her with kisses.

"What is it?" Will muttered into her ear, letting the bristles of his beard tickle the side of her cheek.

"Shower,"

He whinied, "Why?"

Saskia laughed, hooking a hand behind his head and letting him drop his forehead so it touched hers. "We're both covered in blood, and I rather not have to burn my sheets _along_ with these clothes. Shower can also be foreplay. How does that sound?"

He tilted his head in thought after giving her another kiss. "How much hot water is there?"

"Enough for two hours straight, I thin—" Saskia gasped, feeling herself being lifted up and over a shoulder. "I am not a sack of potatoes, Will Graham!"

"Your safeword is still _Fox,_ correct?" Will asked as he climbed up the stairs and into the master bedroom. He paused, and looked around for another door, finding the bathroom and turning the light on. "You're still on birth control?"

"Yes, and of course I am. Why are you going into the— WILL, I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU CHUCK ME—" Saskia felt the cold water on her before she saw Will's shadow hiding the light from her eyesight. She gritted her teeth. "The water is cold!"

"I'll warm you up."

The hot water lasted for more than two hours but their little session didn't finish until the morning light started to appear and they collapsed from exhaustion.

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	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

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Saskia wasn’t a dreamer by any means. Of course she had the odd nightmare that resulted in her being unable to sleep or cause unimaginable anger she had to take out while sparring, something she was not able to do whilst in Lithuania. 

That night, the night of Yasha’s death and an amazing amount of just as amazing sex, Saskia couldn’t fall asleep. She laid in the bed, her arms curled under a pillow as Will’s arm was a heavy weight on the small of her back. Half lidded eyes replaced her usually alert ones, half aware of what is actually happening and half imagining her memory palace.

There were very few moments that Saskia was comfortable enough to almost fully go into her own mind, even fewer when someone was with her. There was actually never a moment Saskia could think in as much peace as this. Blood and body lust quenched, her mind fully clear for the first time in long months.

She felt free.

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The first room of her palace was always the same. A dark plain room with two doors on the middle of two opposing walls and no windows. To one corner sat a brown leather armchair, a red pillow on it and a dark wood desk to the right arm. A fireplace burned across from the armchair with a bookshelf of her smallest trinkets linked to her most prized memories.

She sat in the armchair, one leg curled up as the other touched the dark rug that covered the marble floor. Hugging the red pillow, feeling the handknitted case and remembering her grandmother and her cooking. The tiny tin of mints that always sat on the desk were one of the best memories she had of her grandmother’s second husband, the man Saskia saw as her true grandfather as that was what she knew him as.

The door furthest away from the fireplace and armchair, closer to the desk and bookshelf instead, opened out to a U-shaped room that mostly encased the smaller one. Every inch of the walls held bookcases upon bookcases, sometimes filled with books, other times tiny boxes that were locked with special keys. To one corner was another door, leading out to an even bigger room with more doors, then a bigger, more extravagant room. 

All in all, the golden ratio she used to create each room, going from the smallest items to the largest memories, made sure that the tiny room on the other side of the door was kept safe. That tiny room, which wasn’t the room with a fireplace, was protected by that room and had only one entrance.

This tiny room was the most intimate part of her mind and memory, the place she kept secure and safe from any and all of those who would try and gain entry. 

One blanket and a small engraved wooden box sat in the room on a single shelf. 

If she wanted to remember, and she did, she would take the blanket and box off the shelf and sit in the middle of the couch under the shelf. The blanket would be thrown over her legs, reminding her of how much her childhood dog loved the blanket and thus ripped it to pieces one evening. 

The box would be opened and placed onto the circular side table, each item was taken out slowly; a tiny portrait of  _ Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed,  _ Countess’ namesake, a silver ring with sapphires from her father, a ring with a teardrop sapphire for her mother, a pair of gold earrings for her grandmother, Dutch mints for her grandfather, a four leaf clover representing herself and her sisters, the hair clip from christmas to represent Saskia’s acceptance of Hannibal and Will’s involvement in her life.

The last item she took out was a bronze fox figure, matching the dark figure of a fox protecting this very room. Six tails swishing behind her.

These items were the ones she had the most intimate memories of.

And now she added in a small handful of bloody snow, encased in a snowglobe for all of time.

This was her memory palace and, unless they were told the way out, they would be lost like a labyrinth, eaten alive by what is there.

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“They would be eaten without mercy…” 

“What?” Will traced a hand until her shoulder blades, making her shiver as more skin was exposed to the cold air. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.” Saskia yawned and sought out Will, curling closer to him as he wrapped an arm around her. “You’re warm…”

“And you’re tired,” He mused when she let out a large yawn and felt chills from the cold. Tucking her head under his and letting out a low whistle, he watched as Saskia fondly smiled at Countess strutting into the room. “We have all day. The snow hasn’t stopped and we need some more sleep.”

“Sleep?” Saskia asked, her hands in the fur around Countess’ ears and cheeks as the dog leapt onto the bed and laid down again. Saskia closed her eyes, feeling Will’s heartbeat and warmth. “Sleep sounds good.”

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"Gods give me patience or an untraceable handgun with a good fucking alibi," Saskia muttered to herself at the kitchen table, rubbing her hands down her face before dialing the number Will dreaded so ever much.

“Is something the matter, Saskia?” Hannibal’s words were laced with slight concern after he answered the phone. “You wouldn’t call unless something happened.”

“Hi. How do I convince Will that he is sick with a bad cold?” Saskia gave Will the stink eye as the man tried to stand from the table, instead he reached for the cup of tea and sent her a glare back in retaliation.

Hannibal then heard Will’s voice yell, “I’ve told you I don’t have a cold!”

“YES, YOU DO!” Saskia turned the phone to her chest before speaking into it again after she finished yelling. “He has a fever and won’t stop complaining about becoming hot and cold constantly. And he says his body aches. He was fine yesterday, he only had the sniffles but he woke up with a fever.”

“That does sound like the cold,” Hannibal sighed. “Put me on video.”

“Sure,” She situated the phone onto the table, propping it against her coffee cup as Hannibal’s tired face came on the screen. She stood behind Will, a blanket over his shoulders as he held the tea in his shaking hands. 

He smiled softly before addressing Will., “Do you have any other symptoms? Headache? Exhaustion?”

Will tilted his head side to side in thought, before grumbling, “Yes, both of them.”

“I do believe you have a moderate cold, Will,” Hannibal stated calmly. “Saskia.”

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Yeah?”

“Can you make sure that he drinks plenty of liquids that doesn’t include coffee?”

Will frowned, lifting the cup with one hand. “She already forced a honey and lemon tea on me.”

“Good,” Hannibal shook his head at Will’s frown and pout mix. “It may not taste the best, but it will help clear the cold out of you. Is there a chance of you making chicken soup, Saskia?”

“Yeah,” She nodded, pausing for a thought. “I’ll have to head to town to get a chicken though. I only keep beef on stock because of Countess. Anything else I need to know to keep Mr Graham in line with his recovery?”

Will turned his head, giving her a look. “You make it sound like I’ve been shot or stabbed.”

“You’re lucky you’re cute when you’re sick,” Saskia shook her head. “I would have left you to fend for yourself if you were my sisters, or told you to suck it up.”

They snorted, laughing for a moment before Will asked with a depressing shrug, “How can I have a cold?”

Saskia shook her head with a laugh. “Will, do you even remember what we did on Tuesday?”

“What  _ did  _ you do?” Hannibal asked, an eyebrow quirked in question. Will glanced at Saskia as she looked away, suddenly interested in her bare nails instead of the conversation. “Should I be concerned about something?”

Will gestured with his head to Saskia, making her sigh with a little sheepish grin.

“An old friend of mine decided to insult Will, then mention my father and Samson in the same sentence, and then he tried to step on Countess on purpose,” Saskia batted her eyes with a sad little pout, faking sadness. “He met his untimely demise late Tuesday. Ravaged to death by animals in the forest when he went to collect more wood. We didn’t find out until the rest of the village did, only after he didn’t show up to the lunch today.”

Hannibal shook his head gently. “And your alibi?”

Saskia smiled to herself, tilting her head a little. “I can’t wait to tell the police this. Our alibi is each other. We spent all night keeping warm in various ways, including the use of a shower and a bed. I already burned the clothes we wore.”

“You’ve had plenty of fun then,” Hannibal said.

Will rolled his eyes. “She made us take a shower before we got to the bed.”

“And he decided to pick me, throw me over his shoulder, before me in a cold shower,” Saskia sent Will a sour look as he smirked. “With our clothes still on.”

“You weren’t complaining,”

“You were quite vocal,”

“And both of you are exhausted from it.”

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Thigh high boots were the first thing anyone saw as Saskia parked her car and got out, the matte leather smooth and clean as it crunched against the fresh snow. There wasn’t much to her outfit. Black boots over tights with a red jumper dress cinched at the waist with a belt. She shrugged on a long brown coat, the hem and neckline lined with beautiful orange-brown fur.

First she went to the butchers’ and asked for the freshest chicken they had, something they were surprised by. She had to explain that her American friend was ill and she would cook him chicken soup to help his recovery. The boys at the butchers’ threw Countess a bit of fat, one of her favourite bits.

Countess needed more beef anyway.

_ “Saskia,”  _ Viktor greeted as she walked into the tavern half an hour later. She took a seat at the bar after giving Viktor a quick hug. He placed a cup of hot coffee, already knowing how she liked it and that she really needed it. 

Today would be tense. 

Fabius Alas died many years ago.

This visit would be the longest one since she planned her father’s funeral. There was still another five days before she would go home but she was glad for this opportunity to visit.

This trip was the first time Viktor had seen Saskia in a few years. Viktor hadn’t attended Saskia’s mother’s funeral, having his own disdain for the woman in question. Three years ago, Saskia visited because Samson had died, murdered. Viktor caught small glimpses of Saskia during that single day she stayed at the house.

Viktor had already lit the candle, something he did for very few people in his life.

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It might’ve been snowing and below freezing, but Saskia continued to sit at the end of the grave. Two crystal glasses sat on the smooth edge of the headstone, a matching crystal decanter was to the side with the stopper. A beautiful scripted  _ A  _ was scared into the crystal, signifying her Family name.

These crystal glasses and decanter were passed from parent to eldest child, so Saskia had the privilege of ending the tradition by choice. She was going to be the last of the Alas line, her uncle didn’t want to have children too. She was the furthest the line would go.

None of her half siblings had the same last name as her, they took their mother’s maiden name or their father’s in her older sister’s case. 

_ “Hi Dad,”  _ She poured a small amount of alcohol into the glass that sat on the headstone, leaving the glass as an offering to her dad’s spirit.  _ “I’m here for a bit longer this year. I’ve decided to make this year’s visit a little bit more of a holiday, I need it and so does Will. Oh, I brought someone with me this time, and no, I’m not pregnant nor am I getting married…” _

Time seemed to stop.

Saskia couldn’t tell if any or all time as she spent it speaking to her father’s grave. Even with him dead, she could relish in knowing that his ashes were in a ring she wore on her right middle finger. His ashes were compressed into a blue teardrop stone encased with silver and tiny matching blue stones all around the main one. It was a well fitted ring and Saskia had to literally twist the ring off to remove it.

_ “They’re good men,”  _ Saskia smiled as a giggle escaped her.  _ “Well, good is subjective, but they’ve been good to me and Countess. I’ve told you about Abigail, haven’t I? Well, she’s on her way to becoming a vet now. With a rocky start with her own father trying to kill her, she took on both Hannibal and Will as her parents quite quickly. She’s a good kid, just needed a push  _ **_away_ ** _ from killing people and finding herself someone nice to settle down with.” _

Will watched from the back door of the house, leaning against the doorframe as he listened to Saskia speak in Lithuanian. He was able to understand it to a certain degree because of some lessons Hannibal forced onto him. Now he was grateful that he understood what she said, even if he felt like this was a slight invasion of privacy but he was a curious man. 

Will rubbed his forehead before rubbing his hand down his face, sighing silently as the Wendigo appeared on the forest’s edge. Out of all times it decided to terrorise Will, it chose now as a good time.

Almost seven feet tall, the Wendigo barely had to duck its head underneath the branches of the forest trees. It didn’t want the large, curling antlers to get caught in the branches as it moved towards the bench and grave. Its body was thin but strong as it moved the branches out of the way, silently snapping them before chucking them away.

Only a few metres away from where Saskia sat cross legged on the ground with the glass of starka in hand, it stood and watched for a moment before walking closer. 

Will narrowed his eyes as Saskia looked up, seeming to see the creature before looking back to the grave. Behind her, a fox of seven tails just laid and also watched the Wendigo sit next to the woman on the floor.

The fox and Wendigo turned their heads, looking to Will’s feet where a grey wolf sat next to him. The wolf looked up at Will, tilting his head as Will did the same before it got up and trotted over to lay on one of Saskia, leaving no footprints in the snow.

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It was barely past eight when Will and Saskia walked into the dining room just to find Hannibal having a dinner party.

Saskia groaned. She was dressed in black joggers with a red hoodie and Will’s oversized coat he gave her when she fell asleep on the plane after the fourth hour, only awakening when they began to land on the tenth hour. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and she held a coffee in a disposable cup in one hand and her laptop case in the other.

“Will, Saskia,” Hannibal said as he dabbed at his mouth before getting up. “I didn’t expect you home until later.”

“Flight came early,” Will said as he greeted Hannibal with a kiss to the cheek. Hannibal smiled when Will’s hungry eyes glazed over their guests before landing back on him. “I see you’re having a dinner party. What’s the main dish this time?”

“Lamb mostly,” Hannibal said before turning to Saskia who yawned lightly. He greeted Countess with a scratch before greeting Saskia with a nod and a smile, knowing she was too tired and jittery for physical contact by her clenching and unclenching jaw. “There’s some food heating up in the kitchen for you, Saskia. Lentil lasagna. ”

“Hmm,” Saskia softly smiled back. “Sounds good.”

“Nonsense, Hannibal,” One of the older ladies said, waving her hand in front of her face. She reminded Saskia of Madam Crow. “Both of them can join us, can they not?”

“I can’t,” Saskia said, crouching down to unclip Countess from her harness and collar. “I’m vegetarian and I doubt Hannibal anticipated my arrival for the meal, meaning everything is not at all vegetarian. But Hannibal did create a masterpiece for me to eat.”

Saskia walked straight into the kitchen, seeing a few people there that probably acted as support staff for Hannibal when he cooked and displayed the food. There was a small white dish covered with a clean towel and a small card on top that said do not touch and that it was for Saskia.

“Ah, you’re not supposed to be in here,” A man said. “Get out.”

“Excuse you?” Saskia turned to him after picking up her dish. “Who’re you?”

“I’m in charge in here. So…” He took the dish from her and placed it back down. “Don’t touch anything. I’m being paid handsomely for helping Mr Lecter. That includes keeping riffraff like you out of here.”

“Riffraff. Right.” Saskia turned sharply on her feet, quietly walking until she stood next to Hannibal and leaned down to his ear. She switched to Lithuanian as she angrily spit out.  _ “This son of a bitch you hired to be in charge of the servers has refused to allow me to take my food. What do I do that doesn’t involve me carving him like a prized pig in front of everyone because I am  _ **_this_ ** _ close to doing it?” _

Hannibal paused, exhaling swiftly before untucking himself and standing up. “If you will excuse me for a moment, there is a slight problem in the kitchen.” He nodded for Saskia to follow him into the kitchen.

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Hannibal placed the little white business card into the roll, carefully tucking it in before trying to think of a new recipe that would be worthy of the misfortune.

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	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

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The day after arriving back home, Saskia woke up and just swore. Her nose was blocked. She was cold. Her head was hurting. Muscles were aching. And those damn chills wouldn't go away.

At barely quarter past six, a time Saskia never actually woke up at but rather went to sleep on nights where she just wrote, she made her way downstairs with a pair of joggers over warm tight and a hoodie over a turtleneck. A pair of socks and a pair of even thicker socks were forced on.

Miserably, she sulked towards the kitchen to find Hannibal already up for the day. He was dressed in a three piece charcoal suit with black shirt and a deep red tie. Saskia knew the coffee had been made by the fact that he had prepared two cups already, one for Will who would be down soon enough and one for himself.

Without even turning around, Hannibal said, "Good morning, Saskia. It seems like you've come down with something, haven't you?"

She hummed in agreement as she sat in the chair in the corner of the kitchen, rubbing her face with a yawn and a sigh. "I blame Will."

"And I blame the outfit you wore on the day I was ill," Will's voice appeared before he did at the doorway of the kitchen. "Morning."

"Morning," Saskia got up and walked towards the island just as Will did. "I can't disagree with that. I regret wearing that outfit now, even though I looked amazing in it."

"That you did," Will said, thanking Hannibal as he passed him the coffee cup already prepared. "It seems like someone will be drinking a certain tea. Hannibal, do we have any theraflu tea? I thought we had some from last winter."

Saskia shook her head, grimacing as Hannibal put the kettle on and rummaged through a drawer of tea bags and loose tea he always had on hand. Within minutes, Saskia found a cup of disgusting yellow tea in front of her.

"I need to be going, Jack wants me to see the scene where the woman was found in a horse. No, Saskia, you are not coming along," Will pointed out as her sad face lightened up at the thought of a crime scene. "You are ill. You don't need to get any worse. Besides, Jack doesn't like you near crime scenes unless it's for the Miscreant Killer."

"How boring," Saskia mumbled, looking glumly into the rancid piss colour in her cup. She refused to even put it up to her nose, let alone drink it.

"Good luck," Will said as he placed a hand on Saskia's shoulder as she pouted. "Try and get some rest. Don't even think about going on a run, not when you're ill and it's still snowing."

Will was always the first to leave in the morning, having lectures at the academy or scenes to get to. He was always busy in some way or form, especially after taking a short vacation now and being out of touch with the FBI for two weeks.

Hannibal was next. With his policy of having twenty four hour cancellation, he had to plan a day or two ahead at all times. He was always the first up in the mornings, Sakia knew by his footsteps, and then always put the coffee on before going back upstairs to shower. Will was then getting up to join him.

The only time Saskia was up before either of them was because a) She hadn't slept, or b) Countess woke her up to be let out.

Saskia shook her head, "No."

"Drink the tea,"

"No."

"If you drink the tea, you will feel better soon,"

"I rather be ill than drink that Theraflu shit, Hannibal" Saskia said miserably, looking into the cup of lemon and honey tea medicine with clear malice. She left that there and got another cup, filling that with milk before putting it in the microwave. "Even with sugar, there's something about it that makes me feel worse. The taste is repulsive."

"Theraflu is good for cold and flu," Hannibal said, placing the back of his hand on her forehead. "You're burning up. I think you either caught what Will had or something more severe."

Saskia shrugged as the microwave pinged and she took out the hot cup of milk, stirring in two spoons of honey before she began to drink it. "Probably the same thing. When I become ill, I'm _ill_. I'll be fine within two days though."

"Hmm. You definitely have a fever," Hannibal said, looking at the laser thermometer in his hand. "You need to keep an eye on the fever. You're at 102.8 F right now. Anything higher than a 104 F and you should go to the hospital."

"I know," Saskia sighed. "At least I can finish editing the story for Abigail. Just need to get her to approve it and I can send it off."

"Good," Hannibal smiled, quickly checking his watch. "I should be going. Have a good day."

"Have a good day," Saskia yawned into her milk and honey drink.

The day passed quite easily for her. She was kept busy with her laptop and apparently lap dog as Countess kept trying to sit on her lap as she typed away at the table. Moving into the living room again, Saskia put a pillow on the floor and sat with her back against the sofa. Countess draped herself over her legs, allowing Saskia to use a detachable keyboard as the dog kept her legs warm.

"I want to cry," Saskia rubbed her hands into her eyes, groaning as the screen was starting to hurt her eyes. She kept reading and rereading the last paragraph she had written in the last twenty minutes.

Hannibal and Will were sitting on the sofa, both dressed down again for comfort and lounging with glasses of wine leftover from dinner.

"When you say that, you mean you are so frustrated that crying is the only way to get rid of it but you don't actually want to cry," Hannibal raised an eyebrow as Saskia sent him a huff.

"For a writer, you're bad with words," Will commented as he watched her gently press into the inner corners of her eyes, trying to keep her frustrations from overtaking her emotions. "You're adorable when you're frustrated, Saskia."

"I'm gonna slit your throat in your sleep, Will. Shut it and let me think." Saskia muttered as she tried to remember the specific word she needed. It was a word that was commonly used and she had the picture in her head. She knew exactly what she meant and what she wanted but she couldn't get the word. It was on the tip of her tongue, and for fuck's sake, she didn't know the Lithuanian word for it so she couldn't ask Hannibal to trans— " _Orkaitės!"_

"What?"

"She was having trouble remembering the word for oven, and sometimes saying the Lithuanian word helps her remember it," Hannibal said. "Were you looking for the word for oven?"

"Yep. Tip of the tongue and I couldn't reach it. I had the image in my head but I couldn't link it to the word," Saskia said as her fingers glided across the keyboard with ease as she spoke. "My older sister used to have the same problem. She knew the Lithuanian word for cucumber but not the English. It is a very annoying trait of being foreign."

"Hannibal is foreign and I haven't ever heard him have the same problem."

"Hannibal was taught like five languages, and I was surrounded by around five different variations of Russian, mostly Lithuanian, sometimes Dutch and German. Then French in school didn't help, and I never actually got taught any languages but English, French and German in school."

There was a comfortable silence besides the tapping of keys and slight snores from Countess and the rest of the dogs. The mini pack layed all around the living room, staying on the ground saved for Winston on Will's lap and Hades laying on Hannibal's feet

The house didn't need the fireplace tonight, it was warm enough with just the heating on and a few blankets. With Saskia coming down with the flu, Hannibal had stated it wasn't the common cold but a moderate flu, Saskia sat with a water bottle tucked into her hoodie for extra warmth and to outlast the fever she still had. It had gone down to a safer temperature later in the day.

"Do you remember the Vergers?" Hannibal asked, quickly gaining both of their attention as Will turned to look at him and Saskia paused in her typing. "Margot Verger seems to be coming to therapy because she attacked her brother."

The corner of her lip twerked up at the thought of the attack but it went down again as she processed this. "But he is alright?"

"I would believe so,"

Saskia frowned. "Pity."

"Why is that?" Will asked.

"Met him once and I never want to do it again," Saskia continued to type the final edits of Abigail's book before saving it. "There's something about him that makes my skin crawl, and to get my skin crawling takes a lot of work."

Saskia felt Will's finger gently run down the back of her neck, down from her hairline until it tugged at the turtleneck and stopped. She flinched, almost jumping forward and dislodging Countess from her lap with a hiss.

"Don't do that!" Saskia felt chills going down her skin as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Gods, I hate when someone does that."

"But you didn't mind very much during Christmas or while we were in Lithuania,"

"That was different,"

"How so?"

"I don't know!" Saskia stated. "It's just was. I almost elbowed Hannibal when he tried to sort out my collar once. Probably survival instincts or something."

"Hannibal, what do you suppose it is?"

Hannibal thought for a moment. "There was a thought that the way you died would resurface as a fear or a birthmark in your next life. It might be because you were beheaded in your last life, or because you affiliate the back of your neck with pain because of what Leroy Harris did to you in your twenties."

Saskia shook her head. "No. I hated having my neck touched since before that. My mother used to grab me by the neck before I became a teen, holding me in front of her as she yelled. It probably stems from that and instincts to survive."

"The instinct to survive is deeply ingrained into all of us." Hannibal began. "Even if we are human beings, we are still animals that need to obey the laws of survival and evolution. We are creatures that could do unimaginable harm if we were not controlled. Just as wolves have alphas, even if the parents are the ones to be in charge, we have governments and heads of monarchies and democracies that rule what we can and cannot do."

"They all say that life is a human right but that right is always taken away from the people at the goverments' choice."

"What do you think of life then?" Hannibal said, passing Will his glass as the other man went to get more wine,

"Would you like some wine, Saskia?"

"Sure," Saskia said as she watched the dogs around her sleep. "Hannibal, life is not a right that can be given or taken by governments. Life is a privilege given to us by chance and either it is given a right or it is taken from us. In simple terms, life is only electric impulses within a biological host."

Will came back into the room with the glasses and placed the bottle on a side table. "Then why do people put such emphasis on the fact that life is so sacred?"

"Because we need to survive as a specie." Saskis took the wine glass and sipped at the red liquid before swirling the wine in the glass, watching the liquid stain the edges. "To evolve, we need to reproduce and to reproduce we need to get to adulthood. But allowing those who are weak to evolve has caused us as a species to devolve at the same time. Some of us go forwards while others go back."

"Survival of the fittest,"

"Survival of the best,"

"Death to all others while we put them to the test."

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Near Will's house was a large lake that he fished at. Now the lake was still firmly frozen over in the middle of January, creating a beautiful place to ice skate. Abigail had come back for a weekend to finish everything with the book, and decided to visit the lake.

"Saskia!" Abigail called from the frozen lake as she and Hannibal were on the ice, both wearing ice skates. "Come on with us!"

"Maybe later," Saskia called out from the shore where a blanket had been placed down as a place to sit. Will sat on there with her, chucking an array of balls for the dogs to catch as both of them watched. "Countess will come on with you instead."

"Why don't you go on now?" Will asked.

"Why don't you?"

"If you do, I will,"

Saskia paused before cringing as she admitted, "I can't skate."

Will looked at her for a moment before laughing. "Is that why you are so reluctant to go on the ice?"

"Last time I went on the ice, I was about sixteen… and I belly flopped the ice… Don't laugh!" Saskia gasped and shoved Will in the shoulder as he continued. He stood up and held a hand out for her. "No. Not happening."

"You don't even know what I was going to do,"

"You looked to the ice skates before the ice where Abigail and Hannibal are. We brought four pairs and you want me to go on the ice," Saskia stayed sitting down, stubborn to not get up. "I can't ice skate to save my life and I'm not going to embarrass myself in front of you all."

Will shook his head before calling out for Hannibal to come over. The man was dressed similarly to Will, wearing jeans and a shirt with a thermal jacket over it. He skated over until he reached the edge of the ice, only a metre or two away from where the blanket was.

"Something wrong?" He asked, smiling as he watched Saskia glare at Will and Will just smile.

"Someone doesn't know how to ice skate,"

"I was never taught!" Saskia snapped. "There was never a need for me to learn. I've only been on ice once in my life and I don't want to kiss it like I did last time."

"There might be a time you could use the skill, Saskia," Hannibal said, gesturing to the ice as Abigail skated around with Countess running and sliding around her. "It might be some good bonding time between you and Abigail."

"Fine," Saskia said as Will handed her a pair of skates that would fit. She tugged them on and tightened them easily but was just able to balance to get up. She hobbled over to the ice. "Just so you know, if I fall on my face, I will blame you, Will."

"Even if Hannibal is the one teaching you?"

"Yep!"

"I'll be on in a moment,"

Hannibal grasped both of her forearms as Saskia was able to balance herself properly. Her hands were white with how hard she gripped his arms, afraid to let go and fall again like she did years ago. He gently slid backwards until there were a few more metres between them and the shore. Will joined them quickly, the dogs running behind him until he stopped and they couldn't.

The dogs slid on until they reached Abigail in the middle of the lake. Hades and Countess were skidding rings around the girl while Spike and Winston just sat there, trying to keep from falling.

"I feel like a penguin," Saskia muttered.

Her knees were bent and arms out a little to keep her balance as she marched forward in tiny steps. Will stood next to one side of her as Hannibal stood on the other. They would try and keep her on her skates instead of the floor.

Saskia leaned forward a little too much, making her muscles quiver as she had to rebalance herself before she fell.

"Careful," Hannibal said, readjusting her posture.

"I'm—" Saskia yelped as she fell forward and onto her knee and hands. "Falling. For fuck's sake. Will, stop laughing!"

"You truly look like Bambi on ice," Will shook his head as Saskia put one leg up properly, using both of her hands on that knee to get up. "Stiffen your stomach to activate your core muscles. It will help you keep from tilting forward or back too much."

"I'm gonna have a bruise tomorrow," Saskia complained as she did as he said.

"We'll ice your knee when we get in," Hannibal mused as Saskia was able to slide a few feets without falling again. After she got the technique down, it was down to practise. "Now try and do it without your arms out."

"Still feel like a penguin," Saskia laughed as she was just about able to skate a metre or two without falling.

"Try going a few metres and then stopping," Hannibal suggested, watching as she tried. "Dig your skate in and twist a little so you don't fall completely or debalance yourself again. There you go."

"Never thought I would be able to do this," Saskia smiled as she went back to them again, stopping easily. "Thank you."

It was hard for Saskia to ever say apologies and her thank yous were never sincere, but this was a time that she was truly thankful for their help.

"Has she figured it out yet?" Abigail suddenly stopped next to them, making both men pause in question at what she asked.

Did Abigail already figure out what both knew? She couldn't have known what both men were barely able to understand themselves. Being a duo was easy for them, they knew what they expected from each other and what they would get in return.

Saskia was an anomaly in their lives, welcome or no, they didn't yet know.

Her input had been greatly welcomed, however. Her presence made them want for little but each other and her. There wasn't much they couldn't decipher with Saskia. She was open with her past, leaving little detail out unless there was an actual reason. But her true self was still hidden mostly from them, mostly from Hannibal.

Will had seen her kill but Hannibal hadn't.

Hannibal had been told of what had happened by both Will and Saskia alike. They didn't feel a need to keep it a secret since Saskia knew what they were and they knew what Saskia had done.

Since Hannibal didn't know what Saskia's true goals were or what she was capable of, he was wary of what she could do to ruin him, ruin him and Will, ruin them. With this unknown factor of her intentions, Hannibal had tried to keep her at a distance but it seemed like it didn't work for Will.

The only times Hannibal had ever seen Will smile a truly happy smile was when he was looking at him, and now Will was staring at Saskia trying to bend down to pet Countess without falling.

With Saskia, Hannibal knew that he couldn't kill her without being caught or maimed by her dog. If he hurt her dog, Saskia would hurt him. There was something thrilling about knowing that you were going against something so similar yet different than yourself, knowing their instincts would fight for them to live on.

If Saskia had truly meant to injure him during their little arguments a few months back, Hannibal knew Saskia would have done every dirty move until either she was dead or she was satisfied.

While Abigail would be easy to kill if there was a need, Hannibal couldn't get Saskia to blindly trust him without him ending up trusting her. Like Will, Hannibal would regret having to hurt her if there was a need for it. He would try and prevent it, of course, but if it came down to it, he would put himself first just as he knew Saskia would.

As Saskia smiled back up at them, her hands in Countess' fur as Hades tried to topple her over again, Hannibal answered for both of them.

"I believe she has."

It never occurred to him that Abigail might be speaking of ice skating.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Randall Tier's body laid on the dining table just as Hannibal walked in. Saskia had already received a phone call from Will, telling her what had happened. Will somehow got the body into the house and laid it out like a present.

Saskia made Will sit at the head of the table, the first aid kit and a bowl of water next to him as she wiped the blood off of Will's knuckles. "I'm not even going to ask what happened. I don't care but next time, don't bring the body here."

Will huffed in amusement as Hannibal walked closer. "Polite society usually puts a taboo on taking a life."

"Without death, we would be at a loss," Hannibal said as he took off his gloves and looked at the body. "The prospect of death drives us to greatness."

"Without death, there would be no point of life as it would drag on," Saskia said, finishing up the cleaning of Will's knuckles. "Without the fear of death coming for us, we wouldn't have advanced to where we are now. Why did he go after you?"

"I don't know," Will muttered, looking at his now clean knuckles before gazing at the body. "The FBI have been looking into the recent killings of an animal that we suspect was a person because the bite marks resembled a creature that has long been dead. He thought me a threat because he heard of what I could do. What I see."

"He went after you to diminish the chances of being caught," Hannibal nodded. "What will we do with the body?"

"Display it." Will said instantly as Saskia went into the kitchen to get rid of the bowl and replace the first aid kid. "We will give him the same end he gave the others, unallowing him the respect of a good death. Since he was so careful to act like an animal, we will displace him as such."

"I'm off to bed," Saskia said, giving both of them a dark look before gesturing to the body. "I know nothing. I saw nothing. I was in bed. Good luck, boys."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

WARNING: self harm

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

Saskia’s scowl softened as she saw them, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She stood on the second step in a long button up she had hazardously thrown on, buttoning it barely enough to keep her decent.

If Saskia thought she looked terrible at this time of night, they were much worse. Both tired but satisfied with what they did. 

Will’s hands twitched and tried his best to keep the impulses to kill under control, using his job as an outlet wasn't working anymore.

“He’s asleep on his feet,” Hannibal muttered as Will just buried his face into Hannibal's shoulder. Hannibal ran his hand down Will's back gently as Will clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to get the images of the recent scene out of his head. 

The temptation was there, strong in the back, of his mind. The beast inside lashing at its cage but Will couldn’t let it out, it wasn’t time. Nowhere near the perfect time. It needed to be perfect, the right time to show her the true him and not hide his truest self.

Hannibal would have agreed.

“Get him to bed before he falls asleep standing,” Saskia gestured upstairs with her chin. “I’m going to get some coffee then get some work done.”

She sighed as her tired eyes dropped again. For the last two nights, she slept like shit, tossing, turning, even went as far as kicking Countess out of the bed to see if that would help. It didn’t. 

Trying to step to the side of them to pass and get to the kitchen, a cold hand clasped at her wrist.

Will brought her hand up, bending the palm down as he looked at her wrist, unscarred and blemish free apart from the indentation from her hair tie, watching the veins pulse under his fingers. Her heart rate was steady and slow, perfectly timed with each second. This seemed to calm the beast more than when he had imaged unholstering Jack’s gun and shooting him in the throat with it, watching as he would bleed out with the neck wound.

“No.”

“No? What do you me—” Will’s grip tightened on her wrist, covering her veins and clenching shut over them. It wasn’t painful and she could feel Will’s heartbeat through his hands. She had a feeling it was meant as a warning.

“Please,” Will said, looking back down at the connection between her wrist and his hand. “No arguments. Not tonight.”

Saskia looked to Hannibal. He seemed to have an idea of what was going on but he was just as confused as she was. He opened his mouth but carefully closed it when Will’s dark eyes turned to him.

It was too close to the surface now.

Hannibal’s own instincts reacted, fully knowing that Saskia now realised what was going on with Will Graham. Even if Hannibal wanted to, he couldn’t control his instincts when Will’s were gone haywire. 

Saskia exhaled through her mouth. Slow. Steady. Calm. Her pupils dilated, almost completely consuming the colour but she could see clearer. She kept still but her hair raised on her heated skin as Will’s predatory gaze went from Hannibal to her as a soft twerk of lips graced his face.

“Stay.” His voice sent a chill of fear over her skin, her heart skipped once but regained its rhythm. “Please. I’ve had enough of… fighting tonight. I need sleep, uninterrupted sleep and Hannibal says you do too.”

“You haven’t been sleeping well recently,” Hannibal said carefully.

Saskia shook her head as Will turned over her wrist, now looking at the thin silver and blue ring on her middle finger. “It’s nothing. I usually can’t sleep when the full moon is out. Usually the day of and after but I sleep fine after a few days.”

“Predators prefer the full moon to hunt as it gives the best lighting for them to hunt,” Hannibal said lowly, his eyes flickering to the windows. “But the prey have a better chance of running on nights like these. Running and hurting themselves. On nights like these, blood will look black in the moonlight. Blacker than the shadows.”

“Shadows are not black,” She exhaled slowly. “Shadows are the limitation of light, places where light cannot reach. The dark is the voidment of light, but the shadows are as close as we would get to it. Shadows are every shade of grey that the light can give and the dark allows.”

“In a world of black and white, shadows are needed to keep the balance,” Will muttered. “We need sleep. All of us. Even Countess.”

Saskia was confused by that but allowed Will to lead her upstairs, Hannibal following promptly. 

As soon as Will entered Hannibal’s bedroom, he was stripping his clothes off with each step and somehow, she didn’t know how, he kept his hands on her wrist and felt her steady heart rate.

Instincts told her to not take her eyes off of him. Too dangerous, they told her. Too unsure. Too early.

With her eyes on Will, watching each muscle twitch and move as he quickly stripped to his black boxer-briefs, she didn’t notice when Will suddenly had brought her over to the bed and seated her at the edge.

She looked to them with her eyebrows furrowed together, confusion mirroring in her eyes too. She was about to open her mouth to ask what the fuck was going on but Hannibal simply nodded. His eyes told her that she couldn’t argue, not tonight. And she didn’t with a simple exhale.

Saskia found herself laying on Will’s left side and Hannibal took the other, never once complaining or even thinking about speaking. She didn’t need to speak. Actions would speak louder than words.

The only sound she made was the soft sigh and yawn as they settled into the bed. Will’s hand was still around her wrist which he laid on one of his hips, just as he did the same to Hannibal’s left wrist. It reassured Will and the beast, too close to mixing at the moment, that both of them were there, with them, just like it should be.

Instead of joining them, Countess had Saskia’s bed to herself.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

As soon as the alarm for six o'clock set off to wake them up, Hannibal turned it off before slumping back into the bed. He curled into Will’s side, his leg slightly swung over the pair of already tangled legs, trapping them there for a moment. Taking in the natural aroma of male and female musk, all from the stress of yesterday, Hannibal sighed into Will’s soft hair before getting up to start his day.

Saskia had woken up the moment the alarm went off, opening her eyes for a moment before realising where she was and that she was trapped by Will’s legs tangled with hers. She slept with the pillow clutched close to her head, mostly sleeping on her stomach as she yawned and wished Hannibal a good day at work.

Hannibal let his lips twist into a faint and soft smile before he left the room. Coming back into the room with Saskia’s weighted blanket and gently tucked it over them to keep the warmth in, he gave Will a kiss on the head and ran a hand down the back of Saskia’s head as she snuggled back into the blanket and pillow.

He doubted they wanted to become ill again.

As soon as Will felt that Hannibal had permanently left the bed, he shifted completely. Instead of laying on his back, Will now turned completely onto Saskia and trapped her with a leg thrown over both of hers while the other entwined between her ankles. He tucked her head under his, an arm curved under his head while the other arm was thrown over her waist to clutch at the blanket on her other side.

“I haven’t slept that good in a while,” Will whispered in a single breath as soon as he was lucid enough, though very quietly as to not wake Saskia but she did anyway.

Her eyebrows furrowed and she burrowed her face into the crook of his neck without knowing. She froze, realising where she was and taking a moment to collect her thoughts before relaxing again with a yawn.

Shifting to lean on her side before completely turning to lay on her back, Will’s hand was forced to move to lay on her partially covered stomach innocently. Saskia rubbed her eyes and face as she yawned. She then sat up and Will quickly moved his hand from her stomach, laying it on his as he laid back still in bed. He found her posture amusing; she curved her spine like a cat before stretching fully with a yawn. 

He missed the warmth already.

“How do you feel?” She asked, her eyes barely open enough to see.

“Good morning,” He blinked, watching her facial expression change a little.

She rolled her eyes. “Good morning. Did you get the display finished?”

“Just waiting for the FBI to find out now,”

“Good,” She muttered. 

“Your scar has healed a lot,” Will said, nodding to the exposed shoulder. “It’s barely there now.”

“I’m a good healer,” Saskia said, touching the scar. “I think this is my worst one. I’m very much willing to return the favour when it comes to it.”

Will smiled and nodded before asking, “When did Hannibal leave?”

“He left the bed at three past six, and left the house at ten to seven,”

“Hannibal’s like a bloodhound and you’re like a bat, hearing everything,” Will said, his lip curling.

“I’m a light sleeper,” Saskia shrugged. “Ever since Leroy tried to kill me, I wake up at the smallest amount of movement. Still don’t know how I didn’t wake up at the hotel on christmas. Thanks for that, though.”

“I definitely felt better getting rid of him.”

“I felt better after getting rid of Yasha,” She smiled before getting out of the bed. “I’m going to take a shower before I start breakfast. How does bacon sound?”

“It sounds lovely. I’ll start on coffee then,” He suggested before he went to Hannibal’s bathroom.

Saskia stripped in her room before stepping into the burning shower. The water muddled with the silent tears that dripped down her face. She could feel them running down her face but she couldn’t find the right emotions to pair with this.

She didn’t know why she was crying. Perhaps the last few weeks had finally gotten to her now. But when her eyes saw the razor that sat on the side, the familiar desire to see crimson stain her skin was making itself known in her chest.

Saskia was not suicidal. 

It was as simple as that. She had never attempted, never even contemplated doing it, and she was going to keep it that way. Even if she had a disregard for human life did not mean she was willing to take her own.

Cutting was a habit she acquired during her youth, using it as a means to control herself and her aggression. She was quick to draw the edge of the razor blade into the soft flesh of her left wrist before flicking her hand to the side. 

She gasped before taking in a shaking breath as she mirrored it another two times to create three even lines against the skin on her wrist. As she drew lines deep into her wrist, she felt high. 

Blissful. 

Euphoric.

Her dark desires and emotions slowly leaked out of her and stained the water red, slowly. The lines were shallow, would scab and heal without a scar, but the mere presence of them made the pain in her chest and head lessen. Her fingers would twitch less.

Saskia sat on the floor of the shower, her head against the wall. She needed this. No, she wanted this to lessen the pain because she was scared. Scared to admit everything again in case it ended like the last two times. She didn’t need the betrayal again so she would rather wallow in self pity and grief than admit anything. 

“Saskia,” Will knocked on the bedroom. “Coffee’s ready.”

“I’ll be there in a minute,” She turned the shower off and washed the evidence away. Her tears dried as she dried off and applied antiseptic cream to her cuts, wincing a little when it stung. She dressed in a shirt and loose joggers, easily plastering a pleasant smile on her lips as she hid the pain and evidence with a watch over a small bandage over the slices.

“Scrambled eggs and sausages?” She asked as they walked to the kitchen. 

“Sure,”

Countess was giving her a dirty look but still stayed by her side as she cooked the eggs and sausages in separate pans, along with bacon. The lines stung. They were a good reminder and gave her a sense of calm, a sense of control.

A calm she didn’t get to feel often, only twice she had felt this without hurting herself. 

Only when Samson died and Yasha was killed, did she feel this calm. 

Saskia dished them out easily, only buttering toast for herself as Will sat in the kitchen to eat breakfast. She put her plate to the side as she began to clean the kitchen, she didn’t like a messy kitchen much like Hannibal. When she did eat, she was careful to not get any crumbs on her tablet as she checked her emails. She sat next to Will, giving Countess her bacon and eggs after they finished but both continued to drink their coffees.

Will sighed after looking at his phone, a happy sigh this time, one with remnants of the beast she saw last night. “It’s been called in.”

“And?”

“Jack says the FBI has been called in, he’s asking for me and Hannibal.” He got up from the table. “Thanks for the breakfast.”

She smiled. “No problem.”

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(

She called ahead and made sure that Hannibal was free for lunch. He had been called in too to consult but his part was finished for the day, he just had a patient or two or he had plenty of time for lunch. Saskia had asked Will if he wanted to join them but he said he would have lunch with the team.

"Afternoon," She seemed chipper compared to this morning's little episode, the burn was still there as the watch rubbed against the skin coloured bandage. "Made Caesars salad. Celery, radishes, baby plum tomatoes, a little bit of cashews and walnuts, and everything else that makes a salad Caesars. I cooked some chicken breast and added that to your one."

"Chicken?"

"Actual chicken, Hannibal. I don't go in that fridge if I can help it."

"Good,"

Lunch was a quiet affair as they didn’t speak of last night. Unknowing to Saskia, Hannibal could smell the blood on her. The blood and the metallic tang of metal that was reserved for a blade against skin. The spice of her blood was easy to detect against her normal spicy and floral scent, it most stayed around her left wrist as she walked around the office and sat down across from him at the desk. 

There was something about the chicken but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

As soon as they were finished, Saskia had tried to excuse herself but Hannibal didn’t allow it. He stopped her completely, his hands gripped her biceps and refused to let her move a muscle as he took a deep breath in. 

"You're bleeding."

"Am I?" She gave him her best confused face. "Probably a paper cut or I snagged a branch while I was running this morning."

She actually thought she had him fooled for a moment when he nodded and dropped his hands. She went to step away but Hannibal grabbed her hand and bent the hand back, seeing the discolouration on her skin. He gripped it gently as he watched her expression and mannerisms change as he kept her in place against the desk with his body.

Her nostrils flared as she felt the burn of anger and the heat of instincts coming alive on her skin. She tried to pull his hand away but he didn’t budge, only gripping harder to make the watch strap dig in more. She gritted her teeth.

"You hurt yourself today…" He watched her face as he tightened the grip on her injured wrist, never looking away from her eyes. "You were fine yesterday and this morning before I left you and Will in bed… What happened?”

“Like you don’t know,” She snapped, trying to get his hand off of her wrist but failing and letting it drop in his grap. “Last night’s little show really messed with me, alright? Unlike some of us, I don’t have the pleasure of having someone cleaning my messes up or hiding evidence or clues. The battle of wits and instincts last night set mine off to the degree I felt I needed to control myself.”

“You’ve always had excellent control. Why did last night set you off?”

“Well, I don’t usually sleep in the same bed as two men, both cannibals and just as deadly as I,” Saskia said. “Right after they go and display someone like an unwanted trophy to humiliate them further after death.”

He was more concerned with her than her opinion of what they did last night. “Saskia, harming yourself isn’t healthy.” 

She scoffed. "Says the man who spikes my drinks. You think I wouldn't notice?"

He smiled, a grimace of a dark smile that showed off his pearly white, and sharp teeth, as he leaned into her face as she simply continued to glare at him. "Yet you still drank it."

"I wanted to see how far you were willing to go to get me compliant,"

"You're an actress, Saskia," Hannibal used a hand to hold her chin in place as she tried to get out of his grip but she didn’t want to. He knew she would be able to if she truly wanted to. "You hide your emotions and intentions so well. You've got Alana fooled. She thinks you are the victim, the prey. But you have the grace of a predator, refusing to let that nature take over so you hurt yourself, slice into your own skin because you couldn’t do it to another.”

“I don’t refuse my nature, I just… have to be careful about when I do."

"To make sure you do not accidentally slip up."

"I don't slip up unless I mean to," She glared at him, almost spitting the words out. "I very much didn't expect an empath and a cannibal with the nose of a bloodhound to be working with the FBI. If I knew that, I would have been more careful."

"If you knew that, you would have never met us and interacted with us to the degree you have,"

"That's true," Saskia sighed, sagging a little against the desk so she barely sat on the edge with Hannibal still in front of her. 

"You've always been careful, especially when it suits your needs," Hannibal stepped away and allowed her a bit more room. "You are slow to trust anyone yet you took Countess like she was your own child."

They both looked to the canine who laid in a heap by the side of the desk, eyes watching the two humans. Countess didn’t even react to Hannibal accusing Saskia or the opposite, the dog knew they needed to sort this out themselves.

"Countess has done nothing but protect me and make me happy."

"And Will and I?"

Saskia froze, quickly letting calmness overwhelm the other emotions but her heart refused to calm down, slowly letting anxiety weigh heavy in her chest. She clenched her hands tightly, happy that she didn’t have her nails done after getting back from Lithuania.

"You've been nothing but kind."

"Then why are you scared?" He stepped closer until Saskia had to stand otherwise their chests would have touched and he would have towered over her. "Your heartbeat is unsteady and you're having heat flashes, though small. You're not having a panic attack, Countess would have reacted."

"I'm scared? What do you think I'm scared of?" She sidestepped him then began to pace a little. "I'm scared that one day you will see that I'm at my limit of usefulness. I don't want to die but I know it's coming. If you're ever found out, I'll be one of the first you come and visit and making a fucking meal out of. I'm scared to trust you and Will. I allowed Leroy in and he almost killed me twice. I let Samson hang around and he abused me physically. I'm terrified. I loved both of them and that makes it worse!"

Saskia didn't realise that she switched languages at the end, her mother tongue a comfort.

"You have Pistanthrophobia, the fear of trusting people. It's usually due to past experiences, much like in your case."

An overwhelming amount of fear spliced the air, Hannibal noted, but Saskia was quick to change from uncontrollable terror to a type of sudden calmness that even unnerved him. Her scoff was mocking as her eyes held a tone he had always desired to see again. Will had the same look, the same deranged, maniacal glaze of the eyes that hid the truly sane and dangerous mind inside.

"I don't have a fear of trusting people, I prefer not to. I trust, to a certain degree, you and Will. But I don't trust Abigail the same as you."

"To what degree is the trust?"

"To the degree that you told me the one secret that I could manipulate for my own gain. As you said, I am an actress and I played the role of vulnerable, not so innocent, needy, little old me. You played the role of wolf in sheep's clothing so well, you forgot to check the herd for the little fox picking off the wool of your costume bit by bit."

"Yet the little fox gets trampled by her own thoughts that she can no longer decipher her true self from the mask she wears so well."

"You wear the suit of a man so well…" Saskia walked until she was close enough to feel his breath on her skin. "I forget that you're much like me. A rare feat finding kinship in someone, yet you found it in Will and I." She exhaled slowly, her tense shoulders sagging and eyes softening but they still held the dangerous gleam. "You both are lucky."

"How so?"

"You have each other. Companionship is key for people like us. Regardless of how humanlike Countess is," Saskia's eyes trailed to Countess', then back to Hannibal's dark eyes. "She is a dog. I love her but she is still an animal, replaceable. She helps to keep my… urges, you could call them, in control when in public. Social conduct was never one of my strong suits. It's like how you don't consider yourself a cannibal. Cannibal means you eat your equal but your victims aren't your equal. No one is."

"And Will and yourself? What are you two then?"

"Will is, using animal terms, your pack. You both look after each other without asking anything in return."

"Like yourself and Countess,"

"Yeah. I'm just here because I'm careful to carry your favour instead of your wrath…" she trailed off and looked away. When the new thought entered her mind, her eyes flickered back to him, no longer soft but now held the same adventours glint that the Cheshire Cat had messed around with the people of Wonderland. "What would you do if I threatened to sell you out? If I told the FBI your little secret, would Will be considered an accessory or a victim? I'm curious where I would end up in this equation."

Saskia didn't flinch when Hannibal grabbed her biceps and twisted her until she was between the desk and his body, holding her there as a sharp switchblade was pressed right below her jaw. She was forced to look up as her feet were kicked from beneath her, making her fully sit on the desk as Hannibal leaned over with one elbow holding his weight on top of her. 

The blade was cold against her skin, and dangerous.

Nonetheless, Saskia just grinned at his attempt of intimidation. 

Her grin was very much the same one he had earlier. The twisted grimace of a predator who just got exactly what they wanted. There was a hint of condescending smugness but he knew that this was just part of her little plan to anger him. He shared a replica of the same grin as he pressed the blade, enough to make her gasp but never enough to actually cut her. Her heart beat was pulsing through the blade.

"Regardless of my situation, incarcerated or not, even if you hid, I would find you and make a very nice meal which you would also partake in. I would slaughter the hound before she could even react, making sure you watch and later on make you eat her too."

"I don't expect anything less than that, Hannibal," Her eyes lit up with the dark enticement of violence, her voice never quivering in fear. "Otherwise, I would have thought you would have lost your touch."

Hannibal stiffened as he watched her raise one of her hands and thread it into his hair, just at the edge, near his eyebrow where the hair would be longest as it was usually slicked back. She uncurled a thick strand of hair, twisting it around her finger before letting her hand suddenly drop back to the table. The pesky bit of hair now obscured his sight and he used the knife hand to wipe it up.

He regretted the move.

Saskia hooked a leg around his hip, using the other and a hand to push up from the desk. Twisting until Hannibal was against the desk, Saskia straddled him with both of his hands above his head. She struggled to get the blade from his grip but after jamming a nail into his vein, and making his hand go a little numb, she got the blade in her own hands. 

Hannibal didn't struggle as Saskie used her left hand to keep both of his above his head, the other hand used the switchblade to gently trace his barely covered jugular. 

"Lets just say the chicken was seasoned with the same stuff you give me,"

She jumped off of him as soon as she saw the twitch of a muscle, getting as much space between herself and him.

"That explains why I feel a little nauseated,"

"You know how I used to feel," 

She plopped onto the thick chair Hannibal had behind his desk. She appreciated the view as Hannibal sat up before getting off of the desk, fixing his cufflinks and collar before smoothing everything down. 

Hannibal kept a close eye on her as he peered around the room.

"If you want your scalpels, I already put them away before our little convo."

"Good thinking in your part,” 

"Didn't really expect the switchblade though," Said switchblade was being put away before it opened again with a flick of her wrist, and again, and again. "Could've done without the marks from this."

He scoffed as straighten up completely. "If I wanted you dead, you would have been a meal years ago."

She had no reply to that, rolling her eyes as she put the tip of the blade to finger, twisting it gently but never enough to break the skin. "If I were to stick this little thing, say, into your stomach, just to the side before slicing you open, and letting your innard spill out like a masterpiece, I will feel no guilt. If I took Freddie Lounds and burned her to a crisp, listening to her screams of mercy as she burned alive, I would feel no guilt. The only reason I haven't done that is, one, Freddie may be an annoying chit like a beetle or buzzing fly that won't leave me alone, but she has her uses for now."

"And myself? Why haven't you cut me up like a prized pig ready for the slaughter?

"Unlike Freddie, you… somehow…" Saskia paused, taking a little breath as she put a boot on the desks corner before crossing the other ankle over it. "Wormed your way into my good graces."

"And that means you have a soft spot for me?"

"No. I have a soft spot for Abigail,” Saskia tilted her head side to side before shaking it gently. “But that wouldn't stop me from gutting her if there was a need. No, you and Will have made me care for you. And I haven't cared for anyone since my dad died! Almost fifteen years of good alone time, never needing to look out for anyone but myself until you and Will came along. “ She paused before sighing. “The only reason I haven't killed you is because I'm selfish."

Hannibal made a face of agreement, swiftly walking over to the cabinet that contained the liquor. Grabbing two glasses and a bottle, he walked back over to the desk and put both glasses there in her line of sight. He knew she didn't trust him fully but when she took the offered glass of amber liquid, he was glad she didn't even question what glass to take.

"You are a demon in human form," Saskia continued after sipping at the drink. "Uncaring for those around you. You found kinship in Will, and you wanted to keep him happy so you kept Abigail to appease his mind and dwelling guilt. A Wendigo would be the most accurate description."

"The desire of human flesh. The greed, the gluttony, the starvation that has caused humans to to cannibalise to stay alive." Hannibak tilted his glass to her in agreement before taking a drink. "Quite accurate. I can agree with that, but I feel like there is another reason you have chosen this creature to compare to me."

She smiled, running her tongue over her top teeth. "Wendigos have this twisted desire to share their gift. You've done just that." 

"Do you consider Will a demon for not helping my victims when he could?"

"He is dual natured. He still has some good in him, even if it is twisted sense of right and wrong. No, I consider him a Lycan, a Werewolf in all respects that he is always dual natured. Even when he is doing good, helping the FBI and public, there is a little voice in the back of his head that says What if? What if? And sometimes he entertains the thoughts of destruction and chaos, and other times he ignores them. Either way, when he does good or bad, he is still the predator waiting."

"And you?” He spat with slight fury. “Are you a concubus preying on us with false words and fake promises?"

"One thing I do is keep my promises, Hannibal, you know this,” She glared before it dropped and softened. “I don’t promise things often. I may lure you out into the open, waiting for a good moment to strike but I'm not a concubus, I don't feed on fear and sex, that gets boring, I feed on the paranoia that people have, knowing I'm inside their heads and yet they can't seem to get rid of me. There's just something fun about creating chaos, I have that in common with Kitsunes. I lost control of the chaos with Leroy Harris and he became more than I could handle at the time.”

Saskia sighed as Hannibal looked to the doorway. How Will managed to always walk in when things got good would always be a mystery to her. She continued anyway.

“I like killing things, Hannibal. I like killing people. I like a little pain. The sudden rush, the high. It's so addictive but I'm not a danger to myself. I might be a danger to others but never myself. I am never a danger to myself because I like control.”

Saskia almost jumped from the chair as soon as Hannibal moved to stand on the same side of the desk as her, the glass left forgotten as she put distance between herself and him.

“Then what are you, Saskia?” Hannibal almost demanded with a serious tone, gritting his teeth as he watched her stand before the windows, looking outside.

“I’m the result of genes mutated enough to cause a mental disorder that created me,” Saskia whispered. “My disastrous mother had caused me to grow up too early. Abuse made me tough when I should have been soft. I was shown love when I should have been shown disgust. I created a monster when I started dating Leroy. I saw something familiar in him and I tried to nurture it, but he became obsessed.”

Will walked forward, slowly as Saskia watched him out of the corner of her eye until he stood next to her. “Obsessed with the idea of murder and death?” 

“He loved the classics. His favourite was Hamlet.” Saskia knew Hannibal was getting closer to her, but she kept her back straight and courage up. “He loved the idea of us being Hamlet and Ophelia, that’s why the killings started. I asked him to kill Samson with me because I thought he got over his obsession but he hadn’t. It’s my fault so many people died.”

“Do you feel responsible for it?” Hannibal asked, now standing to her other side. He watched her flick the switch blade open and close a few times, careful to keep out of her arms reach. 

Saskia had a dull look on her face. “No. They’re dead, end of story. Death never really occurred to me as a bad thing. When I was a teen, I thought I would have been dead by this age.”

“I’m glad you’re not,” Will said softly.

“So am I, Will,” Saskia held out the knife for Will to take. “Did you hear our conversation?”

“Almost all of it,” Will nodded, crossing his arms loosely as he looked at her expression, dull and accepting with a teary eye. “Do you truly think we would kill you?”

“Yes.” She said without hesitation. “We all are humans. We are survivors. We are selfish. I greatly debated killing you and Hannibal when we first met, especially after Hannibal told me that you knew."

"You were scared of us bringing you in, weren't you?" Hannibal asked. "That's why you were so easy to manipulate at the beginning."

Saskia paused, her eyebrows furrowing as she turned to him accusingly. "Did you allow me into your house to manipulate me further?"

Hannibal didn't even need to answer, Saskia already knew the answers. 

"And the drugs?"

"What drugs?" Will asked.

Saskia looked to Will before going back to Hannibal. "You didn't tell him that you were drugging me. Hannibal was putting this powder sedative into my coffee. He's only been doing it since Christmas."

"You were drugging her for her compliance?" Will shook his head. "I'm surprised she hasn't ripped you a new one yet."

"I was planning to before you came in," Saskia said, suddenly smiling with malice at Hannibal. "You are a manipulator, and Will, and Abigail, and I know it. It's like a game of cat and mouse, entertainment, like watching the fox run away from the hound. But you always forget that this fox has fucking claws and will rip your fucking throat out if she so desired!”

"Then why hasn't she?"

"As unhappy as I am to admit this," Saskia exhaled slowly. "Your companionship is worth more to me than your death. I don't want to kill either of you. Do you realise how hard it is to find people like us? We don't give a shit about society, living by our own moral codes of twisted conduct. Like always, I'm being selfish by not wanting to kill you."

There was silence.

For long minutes, there was a comfortable silence that came over them, watching the rain outside of the window. There was something about all three of them being there, together. It felt nice.

"The reason I didn't kill Will the moment he began to figure me out," Hanninal started, "was because I was being selfish. I knew, to keep Will, I needed to keep Abigail alive. I had completely planned to frame Will for everything if I had to."

"I saw the light, well, darkness," Will smiled. "We kept Abigail as a way to keep us, our flourishing relationship, stable. But very soon after I admitted my true self to Hanninal, you came along to take Abigail's position. Hannibal had planned to kill Abigail off because she had no use anymore, she knew too much, but he saw the attachment you quickly obtained with her."

"I knew if I killed her, you would have been grieving," Hannibal said. "You would have been no use to us if you were always upset so I weighed the pros against the cons and allowed her to live."

"Let's not tell Abigail this conversation or how she was almost killed," Saskia snickered before it dropped. "When you met me, you didn't see my true nature."

"We truly don't know our own true natures, so how can anyone know anyone else's?" Hannibal said.

"Stop with the philosophy, Hannibal. Let her speak."

"I've never known myself better than I have with you two," Saskia looked up at the ceiling before looking back at her empty hands. "I thought I knew myself quite but I guess I didn't. You've made me question more in a few months than I have in my entire life. As much as I would regret killing Abigail, if I had to I would. With you two, I would regret more than just that. I can forgive the drugs and the manipulation, I've used both on others myself. If you're going to kill me, kill me already!" She spat out, her eyes suddenly teary as she dropped her gaze again. "Just leave my mind alone. It's the only thing I've got left that's truly mine."

Saskia hated crying.

It made her feel uneasy since she didn’t cry often. She felt vunrable, weak. She hated being weak.

It had been a while since she had cried and been comforted. Hannibal's arms around her were warm and welcoming, she was just waiting for the knife to be put against her throat or into her back. She wondered where it would go, and what piece of her they would eat.

She didn't expect Will to place the knife in his back pocket and pull Saskia into his own embrace to comfort her. She felt pathtic that she had to be comforted, but this probably stemmed from the fact that if she cried as a child, she would be ridiculed.

Will remembered when Hannibal had begun to play with him. It was a tiring game that was much easier to lose at than win, and somehow Will was able to win the same time as Hannibal. This was a feat that was never to occur again and yet Saskia stood in front of them, wet eyed and emotions numbed from exhaustion, she won the game too.

"I'm not going to kill you," Hannibal softly muttered, bringing them both into his arms again. "Just as we have made you care for us, you have made us care for you too. I fear that if you were to die, one of us would snap in some way."

It went silent again. 

They were warm, calm, sated. Their inner beasts felt at ease at a time that wasn't killing someone, something they hadn't thought possible. 

At the edge of their vision, they watched as the animals came into the room. The Stag trotted in slowly, the Wolf right next to him while the Fox weaved between their legs until all three came into the room.

None of the killers, that was what they were, Hannibal, Saskia, Will, they were killers, knew what these animals presented. 

They escaped the embrace and just breathed calmly as Countess came over to beg for belly rubs from all three humans.

"I will snap if you try to into my mind again though," Saskia said, breaking the silence. "My mind is not a maze for you to finish. It is a labyrinth that will eat you alive if it finds you a threat."

"Then we will be going through the labyrinth at a leisurely pace to make sure it doesn't see us as threats," Hannibal said, making the other two laugh.

Finally, Countess thought as she looked at the Fox with eight tails sitting on the back of the Stag as she swatted at the Wolf playfully, they were able to get over their petty yearnings for each other.

)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

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“Will you even be able to walk?” Will asked, astonished at the height of Saskia’s heels as the woman came down the stairs with the shoes in hand.

The forest green pantsuit was fitted perfectly to her measurements, almost like they were sculpted onto her, Will noted when she had turned around to sit down at the couch to put her shoes on. She hadn’t yet put on the jacket, leaving her in the trousers and a black silk blouse with a plunging neckline to show off her cleavage and part of the green bralette she chose to wear underneath. The plunge stopped an inch or two above the high waistline of her trousers.

“I wouldn’t wear them if I couldn’t walk, Will,” She said, easily lacing up the black, lita heels. “Is Hannibal ready?”

“He’s still wondering where the hell we’re going to warrant these outfits,” Will pulled slightly at the black turtle neck. He wore suit pants and polished shoes, his hair slicked back a bit but curling at the ends.

“Well,” Saskia mused, coming up to him to undo the neck of the turtleneck because she didn’t like how he folded it. She folded the length, then once more to create a perfect, smooth neckline. “It is his birthday, I felt it warranting a good dinner and event.”

“For yours, we did a simple dinner,” Will pulled at the turtleneck again. “Why can’t we do that again?”

She rolled her eyes, slapping his hands away from the neckline. “I’m not going to let him cook, plus I don’t like my birthday anyway.”

“Why?”

“Just don’t. Never was overly fond of the day my mum pushed me out,”

He laughed at that, nodding, “When you put it like that, understandable.”

Saskia pulled the sleeve of her left arm up, showing off the rose gold smartwatch she donned. “We’ve got about twenty minutes before we need to leave, traffic isn’t supposed to be too bad tonight.”

When she went to put the sleeve back, Will stopped her. He held her by the lower wrist, taking the watch off to look at the three shallow cuts. They had begun to completely heal, leaving very few scabs against the lines. The scars would fade with the rate she healed. This was only done a few days ago and yet looked at least a week or two old. He traced them with his thumb before he realised what he did.

Saskia chuckled as Will let her wrist go, easily putting the watch back on. When he went to apologize, she shook her head. “It’s fine. I’m not bothered by it.”

“I’m still… irritated that you had to do that because of your emotional turmoil,”

“We are three people who are good at psychological manipulation and who despise talking about our feelings,” Saskia said, looking to her watch again. “Do you think I have time to do my hair?”

“Isn’t already done?” He asked, looking at the curling waves she had added in. It looked smooth and soft, looking a little too close to being silk. It hazardly fell around her, looking a little too messy for her liking but he liked it very much, it reminded him of the vacation a week prior and Christmas.

“I want to see if I can put my hair up in some sort of ponytail,” Saskia said, her feet already taking her upstairs. 

Ten minutes later, Saskia stood before her bathroom mirror swearing. One side of her hair was fine, pinned back to do a french twist but the side that was going to be the twist refused to lay proper and kept sticking out too much.

When both men came in to see what was taking her so long to finish, she pouted in defeat. Will shook his head in amusement but Hannibal smiled and came over to help her.

Curse him.

He, somehow, managed to get her hair into a sort of french twist at the nape of her neck and allowed two pieces to frame her face. The look was gorgeous and showed off the simple earrings. 

Hannibal swatted her hand away when she went for a necklace, making her let him put it on as it was easier. The silver was cold, dropping to her below her breasts because of how long the layered necklace was. The first bit was close to her neck, almost resembling a loose choker. The second was a little longer, stopping at the middle of her sternum. The third stopped at the bottom of her sternum but had a dangling obsidian pendant that was cold against her skin. 

“No nails?” He asked, watching her grab a tinted lipstick and apply it. 

“No,” She finished her look off with a dash of mascara because she didn’t want to wear a full face tonight. “I didn’t feel like getting them done again. Are we ready now?”

“Yes,” Hannibal said, nodding to Will by the door. “Is Countess coming with us?”

“I think I’ll be fine without her tonight,” Saskia nodded to herself before taking a good look at Hannibal and Will then herself. She laughed in disbelief at what each of them was wearing. 

“What’s funny, Saskia?”

She gestured to each of them and herself. “What do you notice when you look at all three of us?”

“We’re—” Will shook his head as he realised, his hand raking against the stubble against his chin and jaw. “We’re wearing the same colour again.”

Hannibal paused, looking down at his own outfit. The main part of his outfit was a dark charcoal suit with a black shirt and a dark green waistcoat, the same shade of green Saskia and Will also wore.

Will had the forethought to bring the coats upstairs to make sure they didn’t forget them in their haste to leave. His shade of green was his scarf draped around his neck. He shook his head as he passed both of them their coats, his already was on.

Being ever the gentleman, Hannibal helped Saskia into her long coat before Will helped Hannibal put his coat on. 

Hanniball had to sit in the back of the Range Rover because Saskia didn’t want him to see the place they were going to. All Saskia told him was that he would enjoy the evening and no, no one was going to die.

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The restaurant was beautiful and fancy to a certain degree. This was the type of place you  _ had  _ to have a reservation to even be allowed into the doors, and if you weren’t dressed correctly, as in you had to be dressed in a semi formal fashion to get inside. Even those of celebrity status had to confine to those rules.

They had a seat near on the window side. The researnat sat on a cliff with windows overlooking a nearby city. Most of the furniture was a rustic brown leather, smooth to the touch and soft to fit on. There was lounge seating to one area of the place near the bar in the corner, but they were escorted to a table seating four with mahogany tables and chairs.

Hannibal was impressed with the selection of the wine at the restaurant, ordering a  _ Clos Sainte Hune Riesling _ from the dark menu. 

“The Japanese Wagyu RibEye sounds nice,” Will said, watching as Hannibal trailed a finger down the items of the menu until it landed on the item he spoke about. Will looked to Saskia who sat across from Hannibal, leaving the seat next to her empty. “What are you going to have?”

“Hmm?” Saskia turned her gaze from outside to the menu, her finger tapping against the item she wanted. “Pittsburgh style steak salad, without the steak.”

When the waiter came to take orders, they were dressed cleanly in a red button up and black trousers, a black waistcoat over it with a tiny pager attached to a breast pocket. A small tablet sent off their orders while a man brought out the wine, pouring each of them a glass.

They were left alone with the bottle.

Will looked at the extensive array of silverware in front of him. “Why do we need so many forks and knives when one of each would do?”

“Soup spoon, salad knife, fish knife, meat knife,” Saskia stated, gesturing to each piece of silverware as she counted them off. “Meat fork, fish fork, salad fork. Bread dish and butter knife. Dessert spoon and fork. Water glass, red wine glass, white wine glass, champagne flute.”

Hannibal smiled as Will gave her a shocked look before shaking his head.

“My stepfather made sure I knew my stuff if I needed to,” Saskia shrugged, tasting the dry wine and finding it alright to drink. She wasn’t a wine kind of person, preferring something that burned instead. “I was the only one of my sisters to actually take in those lessons.”

“You do have some high class events to go to,” Will nodded.

“Mostly because of my money.”

“How did you meet the Crows? I never asked but they seemed quite welcoming towards you at the party,” Will looked at her as he spoke. “It looked like you knew their son too.”

“I was doing a lecture at one of the universities in California, I spoke about psychology and how you can use it in your writing to get inside the characters’ minds,” Saskia said, pausing as the food was placed in front of them. She untucked the napkin and placed it on her lap before continuing. “The Crows have a daughter, mid twenties now, she took the lecture and found it very intriguing. Her parents loved the fact that she was doing something she loved, writing books. I met her parents at her graduation and got invited to the dinner which included many other students and their families.”

“You are quite the social butterfly, Saskia,” Hannibal mused.

“I move around social groups, creating a new version of myself that would fit in perfectly with them,” Saskia said, biting into a long sliver of a cucumber. “It’s exhausting to create a mask all the time and a new one for each person you meet.”

“Do you wear a mask with us?”

Saskia paused her fork before it got to her mouth, dropping it gently back to the plate before drinking a bit more of her wine. Her left hand twitched, turning left before returning back to its proper position on the table. 

“I thought we already had this conversation a few days ago,” Saskia curtly said, her tone soft with an edge as her British accent came out in her slight annoyance. 

“I want to hear it from your lips however,” Will said.

“If you truly wanted the answer,” Saskia allowed her fingers to tap against the table in an orderly manner. “You wouldn’t have asked it somewhere I couldn’t react properly. In such a public place, it isn’t proper for us to discuss this. The Japanese think that everyone has three faces; one we show to everyone; one we show to close friends and family; and one we show to no one. You have seen all three.”

Hannibal interrupted before Will could ask another question. “Enough of this. Saskia is right, this isn’t the place to speak of this. Is there a time limit for us staying here?”

Saskia nodded. “No, but I have something planned after this.”

“Hmm? Will you tell me what it is?”

She smiled. “A private opera is doing a showing and I thought you might like to watch it.”

“And which opera will be showing?”

“Vide Cor Meum,” She said. “I think it means  _ see my heart _ or something. I heard it is supposed to be beautiful especially with a live orchestra.”

“Dinner and music,” Will muttered. “How clever.”

Saskia stiffened. “We all have different tastes. Yours is fishing and dogs, mine is books and fighting, Hannibal’s is music and fine dining. Which reminds me, Hannibal, you’re turning forty seven at midnight. Getting old now, aren’t you?”

Hannibal’s lip twerked up as he ate, watching the hostility between Will and Saskia increase and then almost vanish.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The music was soulful and echoed chillingly as the audience and singers sat under a clear canopy. They sat outside in a beautiful courtyard area, covered by the canopy as a small trickle of snow descended. It would be the last snow for a while so the private opera had decided to take the music outside so it would set a fitting setting for the emotions it would bring.

There was something about sound that Saskia just loved.

She might not have perfect pitch, but she could tell which note matched another note by simply listening. She couldn’t name them, her mind didn’t connect that but it connected the notes to the vibrations within the air as they sang. Vocal cords resonated the notes with such clarity that Saskia wanted to close her eyes and simply listen. 

With how keen her hearing was, she heard each change, each note, each emotion they let out, each thump every time a heartbeat gave, each rush of blood from the audience.

She knew Hannibal was enjoying it, he liked his music but she was surprised to see Will calm and taking in the music with eagerness.

Will didn’t usually like to sit in crowds of people and listen, but this was different. No one spoke or made sounds. He could only hear music and the soul in the voices. He felt Hannibal’s hand on his left knee, making sure that Will was comfortable and knew he was here with them. 

Something changed in Saskia.

Both men stiffened as they felt it as Saskia shivered visibly before slouching a little more, wrapping her coat around herself so she didn’t feel so exposed.

She no longer felt comfortable. Her heart was too hard in her chest but steady, feeling like it would rip itself out.Her jaw was tight and she kept bouncing her knee as she twisted the ring on her thumb. She twisted it so vigorously enough times to make the skin turn a little pink.

Will stopped her, holding her left hand in his right until she twisted his hand so the palm faced up. She traced the curves and crevices of his palm, feeling the pulse in his hand and letting calm overcome the anxiety.

“It’s almost finished,” Will whispered, letting himself sink back into the seat as he knew Saskia was fine next to him. He turned to Hannibal. “We should have brought Countess.”

“No,” Saskia whispered back. “I’m having withdrawal symptoms right now.”

This caused Will to glare at Hannibal through the corner of his eyes. He couldn’t believe that Hannibal had been drugging Saskia since christmas but he wasn’t surprised when he found out, only a little angry. 

Will knew what being messed with mentally could do to a person. If Will hadn’t been advised to go to the doctors, he could have lost part of himself because of the mini seizures and migraines he kept getting.

Hannibal tried to manipulate him when they first met, but eventually Will caught on and decided to play the game too. The manipulation stopped because they were able to finally figure out what was happening between themselves. It didn’t stop Hannibal from trying to manipulate Abigail and then later Saskia.

Neither realised that Saskia was just as good at manipulation as they were.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

After that, they headed home. 

Hannibal was driving the range rover as Will sat in the back with Saskia. She gone a little pale and wouldn’t stop shivering, goosebumps lining her skin as they drove back home. Will allowed to lay her head on his shoulder, keeping her steady as they cracked a window for some fresh air.

“Alana’s going to notice,” Will said.

Saskia closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat and voice rumbling in his chest. “I’ll tell her that I got food posioning tonight. How long do you supposed I’ll feel like shit, Hannibal?”

“If you drink a detox tonight, you should be fine within a day or two. There wasn’t a need for me to drug you anymore but I forgot about the side effects of the withdrawal.” Hannibal’s knuckles were white against the steering wheel. “Didn’t you feel any difference of self when you went to Lithuania?”

“She seemed jittery for the first day or two,” Will stated, moving his arm as Saskia leaned closer to his warmth as a sudden array of chills went over her. “She was very much blood thirsty during the two weeks.”

“I was…” Saskia muttered, yawning before opening her eyes to look outside for a second before closing them again. “It felt good to let that side of me out. I think the sedative stopped me from being aggressive but my mind was fuzzy all the time. I hated it.”

“You hate a lot of stuff,”

“Mostly mushrooms, olives, people, spiders, and my mind being messed with.”

Hannibal knew that when he stopped giving her the sedatives, she would react with withdrawal symptoms but not this soon after. With the amount of coffee she drank, she did consume a lot of the powdered drug every day for a few weeks. He was concerned he stopped too soon. Maybe he should have tapered it off but Saskia did state that she hated her mind being messed with. He didn’t need to lose her trust so soon after gaining it to the degree he did.

Though Will trusted him more, Hannibal felt comforted by the thought of Saskia  _ caring  _ for them in her own way.

She wasn’t a caring person.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Harumi sat in her small studio apartment at the tiny breakfast bar, watching Saskia going through her poorly filled cupboards with disdain. There was hardly any proper food in there, and since Harumi moved out of her mother’s place because she needed to find her own place, rent was chewing away at the already small salary she had. 

“Nope,” Saskia said, snapping the cupboards closed with a frown. “Not gonna happen on my watch, Haru.”

“You know that journalism doesn’t pay much,” She sighed, her shoulder slumping. “Especially at my position. I literally get told what to write and how my reader should perceive it.”

“You’ve literally got the Syn author in front of you, Harumi,” Saskia said, coming to stand before the woman she loved to spar with. “Create a blog and use me as a way to get yourself out there. I’ll even be your first interviewee.”

“Would you do that for me?”

“Of course,” Saskia said it as itf it was a stupid question. “You’re one of the people I don’t hate, and I want to help anyway. I rather speak to you than Freddie Lounds.”

“God, I hate that woman!” Harumi swore, pursing her lips in anger. “She just gets my blood boiling. I understand the public deserved the truth but at the cost of someone’s privacy? No!”

Saskia laughed, nodding. “That’s why I had her sign an agreement that if she broke, she would land in prison regardless with how I wrote it.”

“Law school?”

“I’m due to do my US bar exam in a few weeks,” Saskia said and found the bourbon Harumi loved to buy. It was cheap but decent enough so Saskia couldn’t complain. “I had to get all of my UK credits passed over for my US license and degree. I’ve been trying to get the degree for a few years but I haven’t had the time to study.”

“You better pass it!” Harumi almost shouted at her with sheer determination to make noise. “I can’t expect you to do anything less than one hundred percent, Saski, honey!”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

They spoke about the interview and what Harumi should put in her blog, taking a few more hours before Saskia decided to walk home. Harumi didn’t live far away from Hannibal’s house, so she walked Saskia halfway before she would depart for the shops.

They laughed and talked as the night came, people leaving work late passed them. A paranoid woman, who set Saskia’s hair on end because she looked like prey, walked straight into Saskia’s shoulder.

Saskia gasped as she felt the sharp pain of a blade as the woman shoved into her. Her hand flew to abdomen before using the other to push the woman away, leaving the knife in her stomach. The woman cackled and cried tears, quickly running away.

“Saskia?” Harumi inquired as Saskia clutched her lower abdomen. “What’s— Oh my God!”

“I’m—” Saskia began as she put pressed against the blade to keep the pressure. It felt like a cramp, a deep, painful cramp like the ones she would get every few months, but this time it wasn’t caused by her body. The blade felt as if it pierced her uterus area. 

She took a step back, curling over the knife a little too much since she could then feel the blood beginning to leak.

Harumi quickly grabbed Saskia by the biceps, watching as she leaned forward and yet almost fell. She quickly got Saskia onto the ground, letting her sit on the cold pavement as Saskia applied pressure and gasped.

“Saskia, what do I do?” Harumi had no clue, she had never been in a position like this. 

“Scarf,” She gestured to her blanket scarf around her neck. “Pressure to keep blood loss down. Do not remove the knife, will cause me to lose blood quicker. Call an ambulance. Countess, stop whining. Please!”

The dog had quickly leaned to her mistress’ side, keeping an eye on her with concern as Saskia applied the scarf around the knife to keep it stable and to keep pressure on the wound.

“Shit,” Harumi said as she took in Saskia’s appearance now. “You look in pain.”

“I have a knife sticking out of my pelvis,” Saskia laughed. “It must've hit my uterus. The muscles keep cramping there.”

“They’ll be here in a few minutes,” Harumi said, her eyes flickering to the sparse roads. “We’re not far from a hospital but it's too far to walk in your condition. You can’t even stand.”

“I probably can but with pain,” Saskia muttered. “When we get to the hospital, stay with me please.”

“Girl, I ain’t leaving you alone,”

Saskia brought a hand up to her forehead, rubbing the back of her wrist into her eye as she hissed and flinched. What was going to happen now?

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

“A hysterectomy?” Saskia asked, fiddling with her rings again. She kept her eyes down until she nodded, looking to Doctor Bundy and the other doctor he brought in. “Tell me the other options.”

“We could take the blade out but we would have to rummage around because of the broken section,” Doctor Bundy said, gesturing to the X ray that was put next to her so she could see. 

It showed a knife with about an inch of the blade being broken off inside of her. It had pierced her womb, going in before breaking off. The knife itself had been taken out already and she now just had that pesky piece left in her.

“If you leave the broken blade in, it could cause more damage or cause an infection,” Saskia muttered to herself. “My chance of having children if you took the whole blade out would decrease anyway, even less if I get an infection with it still in me.”

“We can decrease the chance of infection almost completely if we do a hysterectomy, and if we do a full hysterectomy, the chance of cervical cancer would be zero.” The other doctor said, nodding her head. “If we just took the metal out, you will more than likely have an infection and disfigurement of the womb. It’s best to get rid of it all. Your libidio wouldn’t be affected if we leave the ovaries.”

Saskia paused and turned to her. “Doctor Knowles, would I be able to keep my ovaries? I’d prefer to not go through menopause early. I’ve already considered a hysterectomy in my twenties but I wasn’t allowed one because I didn’t have children and wasn’t married.” 

“The ovaries seemed to be undamaged so they can be left.” 

“Looks like I’m going to have a hysterectomy then,” Saskia chuffed, shaking her head lightly. “Never wanted kids anyway. When can I have the surgery?”

“As soon as possible would be best, Doctor Bundy,” Knowles said, looking down at her large tablet. “I’ll see if I can move stuff around and get you in tonight.”

By the time it turned two in the morning, she was in surgery but she hadn’t seen Hannibal nor Will. Harumi had to stay in the waiting area with Countess when the doctors accessed her and the damage. Saskia gave the woman all of her jewelry to look after, saying she wanted them back afterwards with a grin.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

By the next morning, Saskia laid in her hospital bed and refused to open her eyes.

Her eyes were moist but she didn’t cry. Not for this. It was the type of teary eyes that you got when you were beginning to realise that you missed something.

The dressings were soft but stiff around her lower abdomen. Her right arm stung because of a needle, she could feel it if she moved her arm, could hear the coursing of liquids into her. She didn’t feel any different compared to before, only a dull ache near her belly but that was to be expected.

She had a bit of herself taken out but she didn’t feel like she was missing anything. 

So many people had put emphasis on children and motherhood in her life, especially her own mother that wanted grandchildren. Her father wanted a grandchild too, but he died before he could ever know that he wouldn’t receive one. He received one in the form of an adoptive child as Saskia viewed Abigail as such, or another child as Abigail sometimes acted like a sister to Saskia.

With her womb gone, she had no chance of having children in the future. Physically, she was missing something; mentally, she felt relief because she wouldn’t bring a child into a world where they could be hurt.

Saskia was terrified she would treat her own child as her mother treated her.

“We know you’re awake,” Will’s voice sounded, making her smile groggily as she opened her eyes. He stood to one side of the bed behind Hannibal, who sat in the provided chair. Tired and slightly messy, they both looked a little worse for wear but content now. “How do you feel?”

“Like a piece of me was removed,” She snickered before trying to sit up from her inclined position. 

Hannibal’s hand clenched over her left one, it finally registered in her brain. “Don’t even think about it, Saskia. You’re detained to this bed for the coming week.”

“What?” Saskia said, finally getting rid of the cloud in her mind. Her head dropped back to the pillow. “Again? I hate hospitals…”

“You were stabbed with a rusty blade and some of it broke off inside of you,” Hannibal inclined his head. “The doctors stated we were your next of kin?”

“If I were to go into a coma,” Saskia muttered. “I do not trust my sisters enough to do the right thing. I have a lot of money that will be going disinherited and, by some certain laws, my sisters could take it all. Evelotte would mostly likely tell them to pull the plug straight away.”

“Some sisters you have,” Will muttered back, his arms loosely crossed before he yawned. “How did this happen? Harumi Jin, your friend I believe, said a woman shoved into you and then proceeded to stab you.”

“More or less that’s what happened,” Saskia looked around, a frown appearing on her face. “Where’s Countess?” 

Hannibal nodded his chin to the door. “Miss Jin took her for a walk. Countess hasn’t slept all night, and she was pacing when you were in surgery.”

“How do you know?” She asked.

“Hannibal spent half the night and I spent the other,” Will calmly said. “We both stayed until after you got out of surgery. Hannibal knows the chief and was able to get into the gallery since this is a teaching hospital. We wanted to know if you were stable before either of us left.”

“You watched them take my uterus out?” Saskia looked shocked, a little surprised but laughed all the same. “You literally saw inside of me then.”

She laughed as hard as her wound would let her, which wasn’t very much because when she laughed, her pelvis would flex and make her hiss.

“Do you want me to take Countess to Wolf Trap again?” Will asked. “Or do you want her to stay with Hannibal still?”

“Depends if Hannibal wants Countess to go to work with him. That dog will follow you anywhere. My baby!” Saskia almost squealed as said dog walked into the room, Harumi right behind her. “Look how cute you are!”

The dog placed her huge white paws onto bed, leaping up until she stood and could move until she laid on one side of Saskia’s legs while her limbs draped over her legs. 

“Guess we both are done for having children, eh, Countess?” Saskia joked grimly, smiling all the same. 

Hannibal stood up with her hand in his, bringing the hand to his mouth and kissed it before gently tracing the knuckles with his thumb. “I have patients to see today, Saskia. I apologise but I need to be heading to the office.”

“It’s alright,” Saskia absentmindedly traced his fingers with the tip of hers, unaware she was doing it. “Can you bring my tablet next time you come? I want to start on my newest idea.”

“It’s in the bag along with your notes and journal,” He grinned, seeing the look of anticipation and surprise on her face. He liked seeing her happy and free with her emotions, she didn’t have to hide with them there. He knew Will felt the same as they both had to leave because of work, taking Countess with them and seeing Saskia’s face fall.

Hannibal swore to visit her everyday just to see the smile return as she saw her companion.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Leroy sent a package after a few days, confirming that there was a twentieth victim and it was the woman who had stabbed her. Saskia hadn’t been released yet and so she just called Jack, which made the man contact Will and Hannibal.

Both men were quick to arrive at the hospital, bringing along Countess to her delight.

“What happened?” Will asked as he saw Saskia leaning back on the raised bed, looking outside with a sad little smile on her lips. There were dried tracks of tears on her face and she sniffled every once in a while.

“He wrapped it like a gift,” Saskia muttered, both hands placed on the dressing near her abdomen. 

“Wrapped what?”

She turned to actually look at them as Countess quickly vaulted the bed, and layed between Saskia’s legs, making sure her head was laying on Saskia’s hipbone to not touch the wound. “In Jack the Ripper style, he ripped out the woman’s womb and wrapped it up in tissue paper before placing it in a cute little box. Here’s the note.”

**_Our arc is almost finished._ **

**_Do you like your gift?_ **

**_Fit for a lady._ **

**_She was a pleasant kill just as she was unpleasant to know._ **

“Dark red ribbon with a black box,” She said, as her hand weaved into Countess’ fur. “A gift.”

“How thoughtful of him,” Will frowned. “Does the FBI have hold of it yet?”

“I believe so,”

“Hannibal and I came straight here,” Will looked to Hannibal who sat on Saskia’s other side, both looking at Will as he spoke. “I suspect there will be an end to this game soon. Twenty victims and all.”

“I’m concerned with who the last victim will be,” Saskia now frowned, concern lacing her features. “Either I will be next, or he will have me as the twenty second.”

“If he tries and succeeds,” Hannibal frowned, this time his went lower and became a scowl. It made them both pause and wait for his reaction. “We will be having a feast with his bones as decoration in your memory. Countess would be allowed the first bite.”

Countess’ tail thumped thrice before she yawned and settled down, letting Saskia’s petting her bring into a deep sleep.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Saskia refused to walk about the surgery with Alana, which made the woman quite concerned in the coming weeks after Saskia was released.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Saskia snapped when Alana tried to start  _ that  _ conversation again. “I made my peace with the fact that I won’t be able to bear children. It doesn’t make me any less of a woman, and it hasn’t caused me to spiral down again. I’m not depressed nor am I sad. I’m only upset that the choice was taken from me, nothing more.”

Alana tried. “You might think you have made peace with it but you might not have. It might take a while but the realisation might hit you worse later than if you woke about it now.”

“Alana,” Saskia began, frowning. “I had the choice of keeping my womb but it was safer to get rid of it all. I had the choice, I am sound in the head. Do you think I’m mentally incapable of making this decision, Alana?”

“I’m not saying that—”

“Because it sounds like you are,”

“You’ve lost a part of yourself, Saskia,”

“I lost a physical part of myself,” She sighed, her shoulders slumping a little as her hand drifted to her wound. “I lost the ability to bear children but I still have the option of adoption and surrogacy. One option is taken but there are still others.”

This time was Alana’s turn to sigh, turning to Saskia with a sorrowful look in her eyes that looked too much like pity. “I’m here to talk if you need to, Saskia. Not just as a psychiatrist, but as a friend.”

“Thank you.”

Saskia wouldn’t be using that service any time soon.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

_**Warning: Very minor mentions of rape in a paragraph or two (just wanted to warn)** _

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Two weeks after her release, Saskia was tired of being confined to her bed and being only allowed to take fifteen minute walks three times a day. After a particularly hard day of staying in bed, even if staying in a bed wasn’t actually that difficult but it was draining her and made her jittery by doing  _ nothing  _ for almost three weeks, Saskia found herself in the kitchen. 

“Saskia!” Abigail smiled on the tablet Saskia propped up on one of the kitchen countertops as she video called the younger woman. 

“Hiya,” Saskia leaned forward on the countertop, watching the face and upper torso of Abigail appear on the large screen. “How’s uni? I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“I was just finishing up an essay for one of the modules,” She said, moving the camera until an inch or two of the desk could be seen and a window on the far wall behind her. “How are Will and Hannibal?” 

“They’re doing well,” Saskia began to pull stuff out of cupboards, bowls, ingredients, and utensils. “We went for dinner and watched a live opera for Hannibal’s birthday.”

“Was it nice? I sent him a small sculpture I saw, thought he might like it,” 

“He did,”

Abigail watched Saskia begin to fiddle with her phone, looking self satisfied as Abigail took in Saskia’s outfit for the day. A pair of silk pajama shorts and a matching cami with an open sweater over it. She watched Saskia begin to create a dough and very quickly began to knead it. 

When she put too much pressure into the dough, Saskia hissed and stopped, stepping away as Abigail asked what was wrong.

“Nothing,” Saskia muttered, rubbing a flour covered hand against her forehead. “I, ah, had surgery a few weeks ago.”

“Oh god, why? What happened? Are you alright now?” Abigail quickly rattled off the questions as her face took on a degree of great concern. 

“Someone stabbed me three weeks ago, in the lower abdomen,” Saskia stood up, lifting the shirt and lowered the shorts just enough to show Abigail the stitches and minimal scar. “A piece of the knife broke inside me, it pierced my uterus and I got advised to have a hysterectomy.”

“Are you alright, Saskia? That’s a major surgery!” Abigail shook her head in disbelief on the other end. “Do Hannibal and Will know?”

“Yes, they know,” Saskia laughed as the pain had completely dulled. “I had them as my next of kin because I consider them family. That begs the question, who did you put as your emergency contact at school? With Leroy Harris still out there, we should be careful.”

“Hannibal is my emergency contact and has my power of attorney if I became incompitant,” She said, a look of fear in her eyes but it diminished quickly. “I made you my next of kin, in case something happened to me.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen to you, Abigail,” She began to stretch and roll out the door before beginning to cut it. “You’ve got three people looking out for you.”

“Four!” A new voice suddenly appeared from behind Abigail, a smiling face came into view. “Oh, she’s beautiful. How come you get to know all the pretty women, Abi?”

Abigail swatted the girl’s hand away from her head, letting the girl wrap her arms around Abigail’s neck fondly in a hug. “Saskia, this is Marie. My roommate and—”

Marie, as she was introduced, smiled brightly and ran a hand through her short hair. “This one’s girlfriend!”

“Hello, Marie,” Saskia smiled back, lifting a hand in greeting. 

“Soooo…” Marie leaned towards Abigail, nodding to the laptop. “Who’s she, Abi?”

“Remember what I told you about my past, my dad?” Abigail muttered, letting Marie nod before continuing. “Saskia is writing a book about my life.”

“Oh, cool. Wait. Saskia? Saskia Alasite?” Marie’s face lit up, the tomboyish looks very much expressed with her jersey shirt and shorts as she jumped back. “You’re her! I’ve read your books, big fan!”

“Thank you,” Saskia was able to roll up the dough and place them on a tray as she heard the door to the house open. By their footsteps, Saskia knew who it was out of the two. “Will just came in.”

Abigail shifted in her seat, looking quite uncomfortable now. “How do you feel about me being in a relationship with a girl?”

Saskia paused, making Abigail cringe. She then smiled softly as she shoved the doughy goods into the oven before leaning back onto the flour covered countertop.

“Abigail,” She started. “I don’t care about the gender of my own partners, why would I care that you liked girls? You could like no one and I would still support you either way. I dated all types throughout my adulthood. As long as everything is safe and consensual, you do what you like with whoever you like.”

“Actually… I like girls and guys, I think. I don’t know yet I am…”

“Good for you. Just remember that you  _ do not  _ have to label yourself if you don’t feel comfortable.” Saskia said as Will walked into the kitchen, hanging by the doorway as Countess greeted him by jumping up with her flour covered paws onto his dark . “I know I didn’t when I was younger. You are who you are, you like what you like. I will never judge you unless you’ve done something absurdly stupid…”

“Like fall in love with a guy that turns out to be a serial killer?”

“Something like that,” Saskia said, before saying her goodbyes and ending the call with a sigh. 

Will strode over to stand next to her, making Countess follow him as he observed the slight mess she made with the flour on the countertops. “You shouldn’t be walking.”

“I’m allowed to be walking for as long as I can comfortably do so, and I’m not supposed to lift anything above ten pounds,” Saskia put the timer on for the oven. “I know my limitations, Will.”

“What are you making?”

“Croissants,”

“Did you finally decide to create something that wasn’t writing or a drawing?”

“I was craving a croissant and so I decided to make some,” Saskia sheepishly said. “They won’t be as good as Hannibal’s but I had nothing better to do today.”

“Nothing is as good compared to Hannibal’s cooking,”

As soon as Saskia saw Countess put her front paws onto the counter, she tried to grab the flour bag but Countess was quicker. The dog took the flour bag between her teeth and leapt back onto the ground, suddenly shaking her head vigorously and letting all of the flour fall around the kitchen.

“Countess,” Hannibal’s voice suddenly appeared from the doorway, frowning at the flour covered dog and gesturing to the side. “Outside.”

Saskia turned to Will, having found herself covered from the chest down in flour, to see Will covered just the same. They just laughed as Saskia touched some flour from a pile and clasped her hands onto Will’s face, causing flour handprints on his cheek and jawline. He rubbed it off just as he put a hand and ruffled her hair and caused flour to fall onto her face and shoulders.

“Will, can you sort Countess out? I don’t want Saskia bending down until the stitches are out.” Hannibal asked as he walked over, leaving footprints in the flour on the ground. “Saskia and I will try and get the kitchen sorted before dinner. I can smell the croissants.”

Countess strutted out of the kitchen, already leaving a path of freshly fallen flour on the ground in her path. Luckily nothing was carpeted so the clean up was easy.

Saskia sighed. “Sometimes I hate that dog.”

_ “ARROOO!”  _ Countess sang as she ran through the house with Will chasing after her.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Saskia pulled the scarf taunt against her torso and neck, making her grumble with displeasure as Hannibal helped her out of his car at the Verger slaughterhouse. Saskia didn’t wear heels and wouldn’t until she was properly heeled, only a month along from her surgery but seemed to heal like she was two months post.

With a little bit too much ice on the ground for his liking, Hannibal extended an arm for Saskia to take as they walked towards the man at the door. He didn’t want her to fall over and injure herself again.

When they got inside the building, Hannibal allowed Saskia to walk up the platform first because, one, it was only polite to let a woman walk up the stairs first because she might fall and he would be there to catch her, and two, her jeans were fitted quite nicely to her. 

Pigs snorted as they reached the top, making her wrinkle her nose as she couldn smell the food that had too much of a metallic finish. 

Mason Verger was a decent looking man in Saskia’s opinion but there was something that just made her want to kill him more because of that. 

Mason grinned childishly, clasping his hands together. “Doctor Lecter, Miss Alasite, a pleasure to see you both. Thank you for accepting my invitation.”

“I’m prone to old-world politeness,” Hannibal had taken his gloves off and shook Mason’s hands calmly. “Would have seemed rude to say no.”

“Since I’m paying for Margot’s therapy, I thought I should meet her psychiatrist in a more professional standing. How have you been, Miss Alasite?” He extended a hand for Saskia to shake. When she touched him, he brought the hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles gentlemanly. “You look radiant as ever.”

Saskia smiled, her lips twerking up in fake happiness as she was thankful she wore her gloves still. “Thank you, Mr Verger,”

“And who’s this?” Mason crouched down to look at Countess, taking her face in his hands and making her growl. “She looks lovely but I can’t pinpoint her breed.”

“She is a mutt, but she’s mine so that is all that matters.” Saskia allowed Countess to walk back over and sit by Hannibal, the dog allowing Hannibal to give her a pet and glaring her doggy glare at Mason. Saskia nodded to the pigs squealing. “These pigs look strange, I don’t think I’ve seen such ones before.”

Mason seemed to not notice that Countess hated him already, quickly walking to the edge to overlook the rails. “Of course, you wouldn’t have seen pigs like these. They’re a product of many years, many litters.” There was a leer in his voice. “Only the best were allowed.”

Saskia looked as if she didn’t hear it and see how he looked her down. She had to mutter in Lithuanian.  _ “Don’t even think about it, ‘Tess.” _

Hannibal cleared his throat, holding Countess by the collar. “I do know man and pig.”

“Papa would have loved to meet you. He could feel the face of a hog and determine by its bone structure alone its genetic makeup.” Mason shook his head with a fake sullen face. “Breeding was very important to my father. Margot really pissed him off with all her button-stitching. No breeding there.”

Saskia ran her tongue against her teeth, biting her tongue because she could feel the remark that wanted to spill out of her mouth. 

“Do you have any children, Miss Alasite,”

“I don’t.”

“Pity. You would have such lovely and beautiful children.”

She was unsure of how to respond to that so she just smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Mr Verger.”

“Mason, please.” He said, coming to stand on one side of her as she leaned against the railings to look at the pigs.

“Please call me Saskia then,”

Mason turned to Hannibal, surprised that he allowed him so close to Saskia. Mason didn’t know the relationship between them and so had to act cautiously. “Do you have a sister, Doctor Lecter?”

Hannibal stiffened. “I had a sister.”

“Then you understand my need to protect Margot mostly from herself,” Mason said. “She’s pathological. I’m sure she’s told you horrible things that I’ve done.”

“All I heard from her was good things.” Saskia got his attention easily and watched as the man’s eyes lit up as she spoke softly. “You see, I have my own sister, three in fact, and I don’t like any one of them to any degree but I prefer some to others. Margot sounded quite genuine in the fact that you cared for her and your family, especially the family business of breeding swine.”

Hannibal wasn’t surprised that she was trying to manipulate Mason Verger to her advantage, and Margot’s. “Unlike Saskia, I can’t tell you anything of what Margot has confessed to me.”

“I’m quite surprised by that, Saskia.” He curled the name around his tongue and Saskia didn’t allow herself to cringe. She had better control than that. “Margot usually tells people that I’ve done horrible things which I would never allow myself to do.”

“We have all done things we say we would never allow ourselves to do,” She nodded to herself. “Therapy is a good way to discuss things in a safe manner.”

Mason stopped, tucking his hands into his trouser pockets as he looked at her. “Do you go to therapy, Saskia?”

“I do.” She copied his mannerisms, getting him more comfortable with her manipulations. “It’s greatly helped me understand myself better.”

“Maybe I should consider therapy then?” He muttered to himself, quickly speaking up as his eyes darted between Hannibal and Saskia. ”Do you do your therapy with Doctor Lecter?”

“No, I had one session with him when my ex boyfriend was killed but Hannibal suggested another therapist for me. It worked out well.”

“Good, good.” Mason mumbled, suddenly happy with the information. He had wanted to know what kind of relationship they had, but it seemed like they wouldn’t give it out and he didn’t want to outright ask. “Can I have Carlo slaughter you a hog, Saskia? Doctor Lecter? A fine pig for you as a token of my appreciation for what you do with Margot?”

“Please.” Hannibal was happy to say. “But I must insist on selecting my own pig. Always do.”

Mason Verger watched Hannibal Lecter help Saskia Alasite down the stairs, making sure to keep in front of her and that she didn’t fall. She really was a beautiful woman with a brilliant mind and sharp tongue. He would have to see if he could get to know her some more, see if she would accept his advances.

Of course she would. 

She was a beautiful woman and he a rich man.

Fairy tale ending. 

Mason Verger just didn’t realise what fairy tail version he would partake in.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The FBI found the body by the end of the next week at the base of a willow tree near one of the highways. 

“The incisions were clean around the abdominal area,” Jimmy Price said, gesturing to that area before gesturing to the several stab wounds in the woman’s chest. “It seemed like Harris was wanting to cause pain as he stabbed her, he jiggled the knife or blade to rip the skin some more. He surprisingly left the whole womb intact when he gifted it to you, he didn’t do any damage to it.”

“Probably a sign of remorse for me losing mine,” Saskia said, taking a look at the chart with the woman’s information.

“Are, uh, you doing alright now, Miss Alasite?” Price asked, a little uncomfortable. 

Saskia nodded softly. “I’m doing fine, thank you.” She lifted a page, trailing her finger down it. “This looks familiar. Isn’t that the last name of the seventh victim?”

“Yeah,” Katz said. “Fraternal twin. This one is the older of the two. Why do you think Leroy Harris did this?”

“Dunno. Probably some twisted sense of duty.”

“Careful,” Katz jutted her chin out to the side, gesturing to the woman coming in. “Doctor Bloom is back for you.”

“Thank you all,” Saskia smiled as she walked back up to Alana. “Finished here. You?”

“Jack just wanted to discuss your mental health,” Alana nodded. “He felt like he had a right to know but since you haven’t told me I could discuss with him or anyone else, I had to tell him I couldn’t speak to him about it.”

“Hm.”

The two women began to walk back to the main doors of the building, leaving it and quickly getting back to the campus of the academy. Snow still loitered in areas but it didn’t fall as much now, the week being the first of february now. 

They began to speak of Saskia’s childhood again, her father, her siblings, her mother. It was nice being able to speak to her about it but Saskia felt like she was being followed, and she had been right.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

“I’m ready to rip those red curls out of her god damn head!” Saskia slowly got louder as she chucked the laptop onto the ground, breaking the screen in the process but she didn’t care. 

**_Saskia Alasite, also known as Syn, has decided to reveal a bigger part of herself in an interview with Harumi Jin, a new journalist with just as new blog. One would think with her kind of books, the trilogy that has caused twenty people to be killed, would have had a tragic childhood. And she has._ **

**_Born to Lithuanian parents, Miss Alasite was brought up by her mother, who was the 12th victim of the Miscreant Killer, and three half sisters. Miss Alasite had a few run-ins with the police at a young age: having been attacked at a young age by two other girls, been accused of bringing alcohol into school, and have been accused of bringing a knife into school to hurt others. Along with a narcissistic personality, it isn’t surprising._ **

**_Miss Alasite has had a life full of abuse with her father—_ **

Saskia’s laptop cut the rest off with a stark line of breakage on the screen.

All she wanted to do now was rip every single red hair out of that ginger’s head, followed by nails with vocal apologise being forced from her throat before it was ended with slices to her mouth and acid being poured into that to burn her from the inside out. Then she would rip each finger off before allowing the woman to die.

Saskia had already been cleared for activities such as vigorous exercise and that included sparring. The doctors had said that she should be wary of tightness and slight soreness of the lower abdomen, but had also told her she was as healthy as before. Physical therapy sessions told the doctors that she had healed completely.

And now Saskia had to convince Harumi to spar with her.

“It’s been two months!” Saskia complained. “The doctors have cleared me for sparring.”

“Why don’t we wait another few weeks to make sure, Saki?” Harumi asked over the phone. “Sure, the surgery went well but you are still injured.”

“Haru, the docs told me I’m healed, like completely healed,” Saskia countered. “They already took the staples out and I've been going to physical therapy. They’ve said I’m as healed and healthy as before. Just come and spar with me, I need to get my anger out physically.”

“You know we’re not supposed to spar when we are angry,” Harumi said.

Saskia sighed. “Fine. You’re right. I’m still going to the gym to have a go at the punching bags though.”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Saskia dressed in a matching black sports bra and legging set with the latex gloves. Her hair was tightly french braided and wouldn’t get in her way. 

She took a breath in and exhaled slowly, letting the tension in her body release as she felt the chills of adrenaline line her blood stream with the first jab at the red haired punching bag. 

Freddie Lounds was stupid enough to let Saskia into her room.

As soon as the journalist had turned around, Saskia had the small needle and jabbed it into the base of Freddie’s hairline, far up enough that it wouldn’t be found unless you looked extremely closely. It was a strong sedative that would wash out of her system within an hour, leaving no trace. It would only paralyse her enough for maybe twenty minutes so Saskia acted fast.

Saskia found out that Freddie kept handcuffs in one of her bags, using them to handcuff her hands to the top of the bed frame while using two of the woman’s thin scarves to tie her legs to the other end.

By researching for her book trilogy, Saskia found out several different ways to kill someone and now she was able to test a theory out. From her research, Robert Berdella had used drain cleaner injected into the larynx, or more commonly known as a voice box, to make his victim silent while he tortured them.

Saskia loved the fact that her victims knew they wouldn’t survive when they saw the look on her face. The fear and pain in their eyes allowed Saskia to feel the rush of the hunt when she saw Freddie begin to move around and open her eyes. Tears dripped down her cheeks as she tried to speak but found she couldn’t.

“Finally awake, I see” Saskia smiled, watching Freddie begin to struggle and knowing that the handcuffs were very much too tight as her hands were beginning to look pale. “Let’s just say I wasn’t at all happy with the article you posted. It was very rude, don’t you think? Hm, you can’t reply, can you? Good.”

Saskia straddled Freddie’s bound form.

Unlike Robert Berdella, Saskia found no satisfaction in the sexual assault or rape of others so Freddie had nothing to worry about. It held no fun for her unlike murder. She had never even thought of doing it nor would she ever. Even the simple thought of it greatly disgusted her.

“We are very similar in some ways, didn’t you know?” Saskia said, easily using a scalpel to cut the front of Freddie’s shirt open. At Freddie’s even more terrified look, she shook her head. “I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in your ribcage for now. You were right when you said I had a narcissistic personality. I know I’m a narcissistic, not because I  _ think _ I am better than you, it’s because  _ I know I am _ .

“But I am like you and you are like me in some respects. We both like writing for example about murders and killings, but yours is factual and mine is fictional. We both don’t feel shame for the things we have done to get to where we are. Guilt and shame don’t control us but perhaps it should have controlled you because if you had thought of the consequences of pissing off the one person who literally researches how to kill people for their job, you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Freddie kept shaking her head and struggling, tears dripping down her face but it didn’t affect Saskia. Tears never did. The fear and knowledge that Freddie would die and the woman knew she would, brought a strange sense of rightness and satisfaction for Saskia. 

Saskia paused in thought before smiling.

Freddie didn’t like that look on Saskia even more now, knowing that Saskia thought of something even worse. The flash of teeth made Freddie even more anxious, the hungry look in Saskia’s eyes seemed to increase as she struggled in the handcuffs.

Freddie wanted to scream as the pain and burn started on her sternum, Saskia was carving a word there, making sure it was big and very deep. Freddie withered and bucked under Saskia but the woman wasn’t deterred from her writing. She didn’t know how long she was in pain for but it could have been for seconds or hours and Freddie couldn’t tell the difference as Saskia poured the drain cleaner into the wound to make it burn. 

Saskia slapped Freddie across the face when Freddie turned her head to the side, making Freddie bite her tongue by accident. She spat at Saskia, missing her face and only hitting her on the neck but Saskia wasn’t pleased.

“Don’t. Even.  _ Think _ .” Saskia said each word as she carved a new word just underneath this one already. “About doing that again.” 

Sasia leaned forward so she was hovering over Freddie’s face as she tried to butt the woman in the face. Saskia used a hand in the red curls to keep her face in place as Saskia used the scalpel to slice her cheek deeply. Saskia watched the blood begin to well up to the surface and slowly make its way down. 

“Blood has always fascinated me, and the taste…” Freddie cringed as she felt Saskia’s warm tongue lick down her cheek to catch the blood. Freddie shivered as Saskia whispered into her ear. “I love the taste. I’d love to see how human flesh tastes like.”

Twenty minutes later, Saskia began to pour the gasoline all around the room, making sure to leave enough on Freddie as the woman watched. Saskia was finishing up before chucking the thing to the side. With one final slice to the throat, she watched as Freddie’s eyes began to lose their fire and life as blood dripped.

Saskia burned a long piece of paper, lighting one end and letting the other touch a line of gasoline. It would allow her time to leave with the small package in hand.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

“Evening,” Saskia greeted, coming into the kitchen. After the ordeal earlier, Saskia had come home, showered and dressed again in something new before going out for ingredients. She put the ingredients on the island as she spoke. “How was work?”

“Busy today,” Hannibal said, undoing his coat as Will stood next to him getting a glass of water. “Did you hear that Freddie Lounds is dead?”

Saskia grinned sheepishly and brought out the small brown wrapping. “Somewhat. I brought a special little something for dinner.”

“What did you bring?” Hannibal asked and unwrapped the meat. 

Will shook his head as he looked closer at the meat and then to Saskia. “You did well in hiding your evidence.”

“Of course I did,” Saskia said. “I’ve researched enough ways to hide it. Hannibal, what should we cook with it? I have a feeling I might indulge with this.”

“Why did you kill her?” Hannibal asked, his eyes searching Saskia’s as she shrugged.

“She mentioned my father in her article, and Will knows I don’t like him being mentioned,” Saskia tilted her head. “None of us have to deal with her anymore. She was a delight to get rid of.”

“I’ll make a lomo saltado,” Hannibal took his coat off properly before gesturing for Will to do the same. “Saskia, do you want to slice the ginger?”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The dish consisted of the meat being thinly sliced and marinated in vinegar, soy sauce and spices, and stir fried these with red onions, parsley, tomatoes. Adding in the rice and potatoes, the dish looked heavenly and even Saskia wanted to drool at the smell and sight.

She had her own serving of this.

For the first time in almost two decades, Saskia had meat touch her plate and she did not regret this decision in eating it. The meat was tender but chewy, much like beef but with a sweeter tone that was shortly followed by a citrusy finish. 

The two men just watched as Saskia took the first bite, her eyes widening in shock at the flavour before she grinned and continued eating without a complaint.

“I’m quite surprised you decided to join us,” Will said, sipping at the red wine Hannibal had chosen for the meal.

Hannibal looked to her as he had a bite. “Is it to your liking?”

“I think you’ve converted me back to omnivore,” Saskia gulped her drink before having another piece. “This is so good and with the benefit of Freddie Lounds being gone! How wonderful.”

“Will you start eating meat again?” 

Saskia paused. “I’ll have to think about it but perhaps I might go back to cow and pig. I never liked birds and you are still not getting me near fish. I remember crab being good.”

“Crab is tender yet with a tinge of stringiness depending on how it is done,”

They all smiled as Countess whined loudly, hating the fact that she wasn’t getting any meat.

“Saskia,” Hannibal began. “When you were with Will in Lithuania, when you killed that man, Yasha, did your heart race?”

It took her a moment or two to think and remember. “No. It stayed steady and calm, perhap climbing a bit because of the movement but not because I was killing him. Why?”

“A low heart rate is a true indicator of one’s capacity for violence,” Hannibal turned to Will. “When you killed Miss Lounds, did your heart rate rise?”

“If anything, killing her made it go down,” Will said. “We never truly found out what happened the night Samson Tyler was killed. What happened to him?”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

**_Three years ago…_ **

_ Samson Tyler knew that Saskia had a routine she didn’t like to diverge from.  _

_ Saskia always liked to go on a walk in the mornings, regardless of how cold or how tired she was, she left the house at four in the morning. With that mutt of hers, he had to be careful for the coming weeks as he watched her from afar. He knew her routine since it didn’t diverge much. He loved the fact that she was paranoid and didn’t sleep much, he loved the control he had over her while he wasn’t even there. _

_ He never realised that Saskia knew he was watching her. _

_ Spending a month stalking her, he knew exactly where she would be that day. Saskia made sure to keep her routine just as predictable as Leroy and Liam entered the country. Just as Samson knew Saskia’s routine, she knew his. Between the hours of five and seven, he would watch her walk through the path in the forest. _

_ Samson followed Saskia that night, letting her keep far enough that he wouldn’t be heard and never seen. He didn’t see the hand that silenced him or felt the kick at his knee that caused him to fall. He lost consciousness because of a chloroform cloth placed over his mouth, quickly succumbing to the darkness as they pulled his body away.  _

_ He awoke in a strange place, a bright light in his face. Groggy and confused, he tried to move and found that his limbs were spread out like a star and strapped to a X shaped wooden structure. With chatter in front of him, he turned his blurry eyes to try and look past the light. _

_ Samson flinched as a new face appeared in front of his face. He didn’t recognise this face. _

_ The new man slapped him across the face, making him swear in pain. “Hello, Samson! Pleasure to see you tonight. I hope you’re up for a nightly run in the forest because that’s what you’re gonna be doing!” _

_ “Who the fuck are you?” _

_ “I’m a friend of someone you shouldn’t have abused,”  _

_ “Who are you even talking about? I never abuse anyone, unless you’re talking about the whore that tried to kill me?” Samson was slapped again before the man in front of him punched him in the kidneys to wind him. _

_ A hand touched the man’s arm, stopping him as the woman now came into the light. “Liam, don’t hurt him just yet.”  _

_ “You!”  _

_ The bitch he was trying to get back was in front of him. Saskia held his face in one hand and used the other to hold a knife and slice a large cut on his left cheek.  _

_ “Hello, Samson,” Saskia smiled, holding his chin in her hands as the blood dripped. “You should have left me alone. Now these two will have their fun with you before they let me end you. If you think I was trying to kill you when I ran the first time, you were out of your mind. This time you will be dead by the end.” _

_ “I’ll get you for this! You want me still or I’d be dead by now!” _

_ “No, I’ll make you run until you cannot and then you will have to fight,”  _

_ “You’re a psychopath!” He tried to spit in her face but it dropped short.  _

_ Saskia made the cut on his cheek deeper, straining his neck painfully until she heard a loud click and a sudden scream from him. She patted his cheek as he groaned. _

_ “I prefer creative.” Saskia turned to the other two men. “Have your fun but make sure it is done within two hours. Remember, right shoulder dislocated, left forearm broken, right leg fractured, and finally, his left ankle sprained. He should feel how I did. “ _

_ “And after?” Liam asked. _

_ Saskia took a breath before sending them both cold looks. “After this, I don’t want to see either of you ever again.”  _

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

**_Present day_ **

Saskia finished her retelling. “Leroy gave me a hug and left straight away but Liam didn’t want to leave. I left without looking back. I wanted to leave that part of me behind.”

“What part of you do you mean?” Hannibal asked.

“The part of me that needs someone else to be there to be stable,” 

Will narrowed his eyes as he took another bite of food before speaking. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“When I was dating Samson, my concentration was on him and I didn’t have this desire to hurt people as much. With Leroy, it was the same.” Saskia took a breath in, having finished her meal and now just sipped at her wine glass. “It’s one of the reasons I got Countess, I have her now so I don’t need either of them, or anyone for that matter.”

“Are you certain about that, Saskia?” Hannibal inquired.

She swirled the glass, watching the red liquid stain the glass. “I’m—” She shook her head and ran a hand down her face. “I’m not certain but I prefer to think I am to contain some degree of control over myself. I hate not being in control. It’s probably why I let you drug me, so I could fool myself into thinking it was my decision when it really wasn’t.”

“You’ve got a problem with control,”

“Very much so,” She leaned back into the chair, her shoulders slumping a little. “It’s due to me not having enough control in my own life when I was younger.”

“Killing people gives you a sense of control. You didn’t move universities because you wanted to, you moved because you wanted an excuse to leave Leroy Harris. You controlled Leroy Harris until he tried to control you and you bolted. You let Samson control you because you knew you were in control all along until he proposed and you bolted before he could tie you down,” Will looked to his plate before looking at Hannibal while still addressing Saskia. “You pretend to be this… humane person, not eating meat, hating animal abuse, but you are not humane in the way you kill. You kill because you can have control.”

Saskia gritted her teeth, hating how correct Will was with his analyment of her and her actions. “You are right about the killings but you are also wrong.”

“Then tell me how I am wrong, Saskia,”

“I don’t kill _ just _ because I like having control, I kill because I  _ like  _ killing,” Saskia tapped her finger against the side of her glass, watching the liquid ripple. “I love the sight of blood, the taste. The pain I inflict is an impulse, a desire ingrained into me. A strong one. It started off with hurting others before I realised I couldn’t hurt others without getting in trouble, I started to hurt myself. I didn’t do it often, only when the impulse hit.”

Hannibal then asked, “Is the impulse a need?”

“It’s not a need. I just feel better when I give into the want of creating chaos.” Saskia placed both arms onto the table before looking at the ceiling. “What is your theory on why people kill? Why some are more likely than others?”

“Humans need to evolve and some people prevent that and need to be killed. A very select few can do this without mentally breaking down because we aren’t meant to kill in huge quantities,” Will shrugged. “Some of us are just feel like not enough people die and too many prevent us from evolving.”

“So you’re telling me that my impulses to kill and hurt come from human biology that was used by ancient societies to keep the human race thriving? Wow.” Saskia muttered to herself before sighing and getting up from the table. “I’m going to head to bed. It’s been a long day. Hannibal, do you need any help?”

Hannibal stood up, taking all of the plates and piling them all neatly. “No, I can do this. Head to bed before you fall asleep standing. Thank you though. Will, do you want some more wine?”

“No, no thank you,” Will mumbled as he watched Saskia quickly disappear away from the room. “Do we have any beer?”

“In the fridge,” Hannibal nodded as they both headed to the kitchen to clean up. 

Will leaned against the counter, his back against it as he drank his beer and allowed Hannibal to wash up the dishes. Running a hand down his face, Will sighed as Hannibal watched him from the corner of his eye.

“What do you think of tonight?” Hannibal asked, placing a plate on the drying rack before taking another to clean. “Of what she did tonight?”

“She killed Freddie Lounds because she wanted to, she already told us she that she didn’t like the woman but to go to the lengths of carving Guilt and Shame into Freddie’s sternum? That goes into tourtue category,” Will shook his head. “If she isn’t more careful, she will be caught. I don’t want her to be caught.”

“She was careful to make sure everything was burnt beyond recognition,” Hannibal said, finishing up before handing Will a rag to help him dry the plates and cutlery. “As much as she wants to, she can’t keep this side of herself under control. Either she does as she did before with harming herself, or killing others, Saskia needs to see blood and pain to dull those desires of hers.”

Will harshly put his bottle down after another swig. “She needs to be in control with something. Her main focus is on relationships but she refuses to let herself go into another one because of Harris and Tyler. If she wanted a relationship with us, either of us or both of us, she would refuse to acknowledge those feelings in fear of losing the last thing she had control of, herself.”

“If she is scared of losing control over herself, she would become more aggressive towards us to try and keep us away. To push us away is to keep herself safe, or so she thinks but it is just damaging her emotional well being.” Hannibal took a breath in, smelling the sweet spice in the air before calling out. “Stop loitering out there, Saskia.”

Will stiffened before relaxing, watching as Saskia turned on the kitchen doorway before crossing her arms and leaning against it.

“How long did you know I was there?” She asked.

Hannibal countered, seeing her reflection through the window. “How much did you hear?”

“Enough to know that you’re trying to figure me out,” She clicked her tongue, scratching the back of her neck as she didn’t feel comfortable in this conversation. “How’s it going for yah? Figured me out? Psychoanalysed me to your heart’s content yet? If I wanted to be psychoanalysed, I would go to Alana.”

“You killed Freddie Lounds and carved her like a pig,” Hannibal said. “You wanted approval and so brought home the kill. You did something animals do when they want approval of a mate.”

Saskia shook her head, refusing to believe this was true. “Hannibal, we had sex once. I don’t see how this works with the mate thing. I don’t look for approval from anyone, I don’t need approval anymore. I have gone beyond needing validation from people!” With each word, Saskia started to become angry but it was out of fear and frustration.

“I’m not speaking of sex. I’m speaking of companionship.” Hannibal turned around to face her, finding that she moved to stand on the other side of the island. Her eyes wide and bright as she felt the rush of something within her bloodstream. “Will brought Ranell Tier because he was attacked but found that he could find approval for his actions from me, from us. You killed Freddie Lounds in an attempt to control yourself but even as you killed her, you thought of needing our approval and so you brought a piece of her. Like a beast hungry for approval and companionship, you brought home a kill for us to feast on.”

“What?” Saskia whispered, trying to control her mind for a moment as it realised. 

“I think Hannibal is trying to say that our courtship hasn’t been the most common thing around,” Will shook his head at Hannibal’s wording of meanings. “When you asked me to help kill Yasha, you sought my approval and when I agreed, you had it and you knew you had it. You subconsciously knew that I was happy with you but you didn’t know if Hannibal was happy with you being with us. You sought out a kill to give to him as a token of your worthiness without realising.”

“No. No. Nonono.” Saskia shook her head, backing away slowly as she saw to herself. “I’m not doing this. No. Not happening. Not again.” 

“You’re backing away because you know we are right,” Will stopped her by the elbow, quickly making her look at him as he saw the fear and disbelief in her eyes. “You’re scared because you think this makes you lose control over yourself. You don’t lose control of yourself just because you admit something. I didn’t lose control of myself when I realised that I was similar to Hannibal, or when I realised I felt something for him. We all may have repressed emotions that refuse to work properly, but we can all see it in the way we act around each other.”

Saskia shook Will’s hands off of her arms, crossing them tightly to try and comfort herself as she tried to finally understand. “What do you mean?”

“When you were in severe pain for that single day, Hannibal came to your house and fed you. He doesn’t do that to anyone but me, not even Abigail. Both times when you were stabbed, Hannibal and I came to visit. The second time we stayed overnight to make sure you were alright and safe.” Will watched her cringe, curling her shoulders up as she felt chills going down her. “When Hannibal suggested that you stay at his instead of going into Witness protection, it was to keep you closer and within our reach. During Christmas when Mason Verger danced with you, we instantly knew you didn’t like to be touched by him and so we intervened and made sure you didn’t have to dance with him again. We killed that other man because he hurt you. I helped you kill Yasha because you asked.”

Hannibal stood next to Will, a little to the side of her to make sure she didn’t bolt. “Did you think we would do any of that if we were not interested in acquiring you as a companion, Saskia?”

“I just thought you did all of that to get me to trust you and to make me easier to manipulate… That’s what Leroy did…” 

“We’re not him and we will never be,” Will shook his head. “I want to be there for you like I am there for Hannibal. I want you to know that I don’t allow those who I consider mine to be harmed, nor does Hannibal, and we both know you wouldn’t either.”

“Will,” Hannibal turned to him. “Let’s give her some time to think over it. You don’t need to give us an answer straight away. You can have some time to truly think of what you want, Saskia. But please, don’t leave without telling us.”

Saskia nodded, her heart in her throat as it throbbed painfully and felt like she was choking. She quickly exited the kitchen and spent hours upstairs pacing the length of her room, unsure of how she wanted to express what she wanted.

She knew she wanted both men sexually, that was easily seen and accepted, but did she want them just as lovers or perhaps partners? Did she want them temporarily? That didn’t feel right.

Permanent partners felt closer to what she truly wanted but she didn’t want to accept it. 

Fear of commitment did that.

She didn’t want to be controlled again, nor manipulated. 

Saskia rubbed her hands together as she paced, trying to get her mind in order before realising that she needed to use her mind less and use her instincts more. There was too much noise in her head when she thought so she pushed that down and only focused on her feelings. 

The little fox trilled a sound, making Saskia look at it by her feet. The fox walked over to the closed door and pawed at it, looking back at Saskia before looking at the door. Saskia took a breath and opened her door. The fox trotted over to Hannibal’s bedroom, the light in there indicated that they were still awake. The fox gave her a dirty look when she didn’t open the door straight away.

By the time Saskia got the courage to knock, she knew she was trembling in anxiety. Saskia heard the come in before opening it and entering, her hands clasped onto her arms like vipers unwilling to let go of the rabbit they caught. 

Saskia licked her dry lips, biting it as she observed the fox trotting over to the wolf and stag in front of the fireplace as Hannibal and Will got up from the bed. All three had donned night clothes already, so they were already dressed for bed.

“I want to try,” Saskia admitted. “I want to have a working relationship with someone that can actually understand me and not say I’m being stupid or selfish. If you’re both willing, I want to try to have a relationship that is more than just me trying to control someone. I want to have a selfless us instead of a selfish me. I wanted both of your approvals without even realising myself. I want you both as partners more than I want to have control.”

“And all it took was you almost breaking down in fear of admitting it to admit it,” Will said, a soft smile of amusement on his lips as he held a hand out for Saskia. She clasped the hand in hers, taking a soft breath in as the weight of rocks left her. “I think it’s time for bed, don’t you think, Hannibal?” 

“Emotional exhaustion is very much tiring,” Hannibal nodded, letting all three of them walk over to the bed. 

“Today was just long,” Saskia countered as they all climbed into bed, finding that she was in the middle this time. 

It felt warm and right as she fell asleep with both of them on either side of her.

The little fox shifted into a beautiful woman, taking human form just as the wolf and stag did the same. The three sat before the fire, the Wendigo leaning against the base of the bed as the Lycan leaned on one side and the Kistune draped herself over both their legs. They lounged as their counterparts finally accepted what was meant to be, these three knew but their human selves didn’t. The Kitsune, known for trickery and mischief, was also known to be careful to be not trapped.

She knew she would be happy if she was trapped with these two.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

  
  



	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Will’s phone rang too early the next day, waking all three of them up and making them groan. Since she knew Will wasn’t going to answer his phone due to the time, Saskia yawned and leaned over Will to reach to grab the phone. She blinked as she turned it on, watching as Jack’s name turned up. She handed Will his phone and laid back down to feel the warmth of their arms.

“It’s Jack,” Saskia muttered, squishing her face into the pillow to avert her gaze from the bright screen. 

Will used his free arm to look at the phone from his lying position with a groan, moving until he sat up and made Saskia yawn and lean into Hannibal more as he removed his warm body from her grasps.

Will answered the call. “It’s before seven on a saturday, Jack… I know I’m always on call but it’s a Saturday and it's cold and the sun isn’t even up… Sure, give me an hour and a half… And Hannibal? Okay.” He ended the call before laying down again, getting back into the warmth of the two other bodies.

Hannibal was laying on his back as Saskia half leaned on him and half on her front in between both men. Will turned until he was leaning on his side to face both of them, watching Hannibal as his hand was on one of Saskia’s hips and drawing tiny designs in the skin with his finger. 

“What did Jack need, Will?” Hannibal inquired as Saskia also groaned when she heard her own phone sound, she looked to her smartwatch before sighing. It said that she had a message and needed to reply to it. 

“Countess, bring me my phone please!” Saskia lifted her head from the pillow as she called out before slumping again. “What did Jack say about needing you two?”

“Freddie’s been identified by her dental records,” Will stared off into the distance as he felt Saskia place her arm so it draped over his waist, drawing little circles into his bare chest as she yawned once again. “He wants to speak to Hannibal and I about what’s going to happen next. There will be a funeral I’d think. Will you be attending?”

“Alana will probably ask me why I didn’t attend if I didn’t go,” Saskia scowled as she got another message. “Really not my problem at the moment. I need to sort out the book publishing date now.”

Countess came into the room, the phone in her mouth as she jumped onto the bed before dropping the phone onto the small of Saskia’s back, exactly where she couldn’t reach because of the poison she was in.

Hannibal passed her the phone. “It’s been approved?”

“Thanks. Got the email last week,” Saskia looked through her emails for the day, nothing of importance for now. As Hannibal got out of the bed, she shifted to lay on her back as Countess laid on one of her legs. 

Hannibal nodded and walked over to the wardrobe to pull the doors open. He whistled, creating a stampede of the large pack of dogs barging into the bedroom. Will groaned as the dogs suddenly leapt onto the bed but Saskia just laughed as they were covered in slobber and icy noses.

Saskia tried to get out of the bed, phone in hand as the dogs refused to let her go and made her tumble onto the ground and be covered in cold noses again. The dogs snickered as they watched her huff before getting up, pushing them away with a laugh. 

“Margot asked if I’m free for horseback riding at noon,” Saskia said after giving each of the dogs good ear rubs and belly scratches. “She said I can bring the dogs with me for a run at the Verger place.”

“Have you been cleared for vigorous exercise?” Hannibal asked, looking back from his position at the wardrobe as he chose his suit for the day. 

“Docs cleared me a week ago,” Saskia said, shifting her weight onto another foot before leaving the room to get dressed in her own. 

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Leaving her gun at home, Saskia piled all of the dogs into the Mercede Benz G class she had imported from her Lithuanian home. It had plenty of room for all of the dogs and she didn’t really care if this car got dirty compared to her range rover. 

Having known it was going to be cold, Saskia had dressed in warm grey riding breeches with winter socks in the black boots she wore. Black turtleneck kept the bite of the cold away as she wore a navy riding jacket over it. 

The horse that Margot had readied for Saskia was a beautiful piebald stallion. To a certain amount of irony, he was an unruly horse that didn’t like anyone but Margot going near him, and he was named Baron. 

The trail was cold and refreshing. The snow had settled a while ago, leaving small patches of slush where the path was but otherwise the snow was untouched. The dogs and horses left footprints in the snow.

“I read somewhere that you’re not supposed to ride when you’re pregnant?”

“The doctors said as long as I am only riding them down the paths, I’ll be fine until I’m a little further along,” Margot nodded, turning her head to look at Saskia as the other woman just looked ahead to watch the dogs carefully. “I feel bad about talking of my pregnancy when…”

“It’s no problem,” Saskia shook her head, letting a reassuring smile onto her lips. “It happened and I’m over it. I never wanted children. I rather not push a melon out.”

“Don’t remind me of that,” Margot laughed. “I’m not looking forward to that part of motherhood. I never actually thought I would be a mother. Liking women was one of the reasons my father almost disowned me.”

“Let’s just say coming out to your semi homophobi mother is not fun,” 

“What did you come out as?”

“Pansexual,”

“So you’re not limited to the gender, sex, or identity of your partners?”

“If I like them, I like them,” 

Margot hummed and looked ahead. “Fair enough.”

“Say,” Saskia slowed the horse as the dogs got a little too close to Baron. “When do you find out the gender? Soon, isn’t it?”

“I’m only thirteen weeks in now,” Margot placed her hand on the small bump hidden by her clothes. “I’m getting the next ultrasound at sixteen weeks, so a couple weeks left before I find out the gender and see if my plan will work.”

“And the donor?”

“A very much willing one night stand, I assure you,”

Saskia nodded. “So there won’t be anyone trying to claim parental guardianship. Your father’s will was very insistent in the fact it had to be a male heir that inherited the fortune. If you were to have a son, you’d be able to kill Mason off quite quickly, a daughter would be… unwelcome at this moment of time.”

“How is your law degree coming along?” Margot asked, turning her head to look at Saskia on the other horse.

“I’m just waiting for the results on my exam now,” She watched the dogs play, taking a deep breath of icy cold air into her lungs, loving the fresh crisp air. “I did pretty well but I’d like to know the official results.”

“I was surprised to think you did contract law,”

“Being a writer means I am very picky on the wording of everything and every detail. Contracts just seemed the best way for me to incorporate my skills,” 

Margot agreed.

They carried on with the horse ride for an hour or so more, just talking about this and that. Getting back to the Verger mansion, Margot already had lunch ready. An indian chinese dumpling dish with a hot and sour soup in a blue decorative bowl. 

It didn’t take long for Mason to find them eating on one of the terraces that faced the beautiful scenery. 

“Margot, Saskia!” He greeted with a huge grin as he came outside to give his sister a kiss on the cheek and, to her displeasure, gave Saskia a very polite peck on the cheek. As soon as he turned, Saskia made a disgusted face and wiped the area. Margot smiled and tried to hide her amusement as Mason looked to her. 

“Afternoon,” Saskia said politely.

“Afternoon,” He said back and took a seat across from them at the four chaired table they ate at. “Say, Saskia, are you wearing makeup at the moment? Because you look beautiful at the moment and I don’t know what it is about you that lures me in.”

She stopped eating, wanting to grimace but refused to at his adoring look. She just smiled and shook her head. 

“Besides a bit of lip balm, I’m not wearing makeup,” Saskia placed her utensils down. “It is probably my Eastern European heritage. We’re known for beautiful women and good alcohol.”

She hated being civil sometimes, especially when people began to look at you like you were a piece of meat instead of a human being. The way he looked over his glasses made her put a thick mask of false demureness that he quite easily ate up, resulting in a sloppy smile accenting his lips. That annoyed her even more. 

“I would have to agree with that,” He said from his side of the table, leaning into the back of his chair with carelessness. 

Margot paused to stare at him. “Mason, we’re trying to have lunch.”

“I see that, dear Margot,” He smiled. “I just wanted to see if I could join you lovely ladies.”

Countess began to whine and groan, making Hades, and Winston, and Spike do the same. Saskia was finally glad to say that she was happy that the dogs were very picky about being fed a certain time.

“You could,” Saskia checked her watch and smiled apologetically. “But it seems like I have to leave. The dogs like to be eating by two in the afternoon, at least the larger ones. They will become unruly soon if they are not fed.”

“I’ll show you out then,” Mason jumped to his feet as Saskia also got up. “It’s only polite that the man of the house shows the guests out when the lady is still feasting.”

Saskia had a snark rebuttal of  _ what man? I only see a little piggy.  _ But kept it at the tip of her tongue instead of letting it out. 

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Hannibal and Will were home by noon and knew when Saskia’s car pulled up. They both stood in the foyer, waiting for her to let the dogs out before she slammed the door of her car closed. They let the dogs into the house, making sure each of them wiped their feet. 

“What happened?” Will asked. 

“Remind me to burn this top.” Saskia mumbled, turning as Hannibal gestured that he would help take her coat. 

Hannibal hooked the coat in the side closet. The musty smell of dirt and pigs laced the coat, and parts of Saskia’s skin. He turned back to her, seeing her struggle with taking off riding jacket and her increasing frustrations with it.

“What’s upset you?”

“He tried to fucking snog me!” Her voice raised with outrage at the memory, turning with a thicker twang of a British accent as her anger rose. 

Will’s eyebrows furrowed. “Saskia, who?” 

“That bastard brother of Margot’s.” She turned to look at them both with a disgusted pout as she wiped a hand down her neck. “He tried to snog me like I was a piece of meat. When I turned my head, he went to my neck. And when I got out of the door, he grabbed my ass with that disgusting little leer of his. I swear if Margot isn’t having a son, I’m going to kill Mason anyway!”

She ignored the flash of dark anger in both men’s eyes, stating that she was going for a shower.

The water was boiling hot but she welcomed the slight burn as she scrubbed her skin. She felt each twitch of her muscles as they tried to forget his touch. Try as she might, she couldn’t forget it. 

His hands were very much grabby and clasped around her hip and bicep with an uneasy grip that made her beast want to lash out. His touch was wrong, unwelcome. It disgusted her to her core, rattling the beast’s already brittle reistants. His touch was the wrong one, it was nothing like theirs and so she hated it instantly. She knew it wasn’t time so she had to accept it but she wished she didn’t have to. 

Hannibal stood by the open bathroom door, watching as Saskia used her hands to try and get rid of Mason’s unwelcomed scent and feel. He knew her unscented products wouldn’t work well, so Hannibal brought some of his so she could regain some sense of herself. She took the gratefully, the scent of her anxiety and of the other man lessened as she rubbed the new soap in. 

Saskia didn’t care that she was nude in front of him, the shower curtain covered her mostly. He had knocked before he even thought of coming into the bathroom, even if the door was left open. 

She washed the new soap off. “Is it gone yet?” 

He took a second to answer, inhaling but nodding with a soft look. “You no longer smell of dirt and pig, only of my body wash now.”

“Thank fuck,” Saskia said in relief, turning the water off. “Can you pass me my dressing gown? I forgot it on the bed on my haste to get him off of me.”

He went to get it, leaving with another small nod as Saskia examined his movements as he walked. He really did have a nice backside. 

Instead of grabbing the black dressing gown he held out for her, Saskia grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the shower with her. Easily silencing his protests with hot kisses all up and down his jaw and neck, Saskia distracted him by running her hand through his hair as he ran a hand down her exposed back. One of her hands held her dressing gown, while the other migrated to the dial and suddenly turned the water on and to icy cold.

She bolted from the bathroom, slamming the door shut as she ran downstairs and quickly tucked the robe closed around her nude form. She giggled and laughed as she ran, knowing Hannibal was stalking behind her every step.

With each step, Hannibal came closer to grabbing her, only missing by mere hair lengths because Saskia knew she could tease him. Slowly down the smallest degree, Saskia let him feel like he was going to win before increasing her speed and jumping to the side before he could touch her.

Will appeared from the kitchen, hearing all of the running and footsteps. "Why are you— Oh, a game of cat and mouse. What did the mouse do to warrant the game?"

"The little mouse pulled the cat into the shower with promises and instead delivered a cold shower." Hannibal scowled as he saw Saskia shrink behind Will with a mischievous grin.

"The mouse plans to deliver the promises after a chase, to see if the rewards are due." She bared her teeth in a grin.

Will shook his head. 

“Can you atleast go dry off before running around? One of you, and I mean Saskia, will fall and then the dogs will turn you into a dog pile.” When Will saw Saskia was about to bolt, he grabbed her by one of her arms before she could. His lip curled as he watched her pout, her eyes flickering to the side to find the best way out of the room. Will turned his head to Hannibal, his eyes flickering to him before back to Saskia as she laid out a plan in her head. “You best bring her upstairs and dry her yourself. She’s going to do a runner to continue the chase.”

“What? No. Don’t even think abo—AHH!” Hannibal grabbed both of her wrists into one hand and quickly lifted her into a fireman carry. One hand held both of her wrists to one side of his body while his other arm kept her from kicking him in retaliation. “Not a sack of potatoes! Will, stop laughing and tell him to put me down! I hate both of you.”

“I wouldn’t be forced to carry you like a barbarian if you made the correct decisions in the matter.” Hannibal paused at the stairs. “Will, are you joining us?”

“I’m not in the mood,” Will shook his head. “I’ll stay with the dogs and get some of the stupid paperwork finished. Have fun.”

“We will.”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

He sat on the end of the bed, Saskia kneeling between his thighs as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt and trailed kisses down his chest. She didn’t hesitate to stand up and shove him at the shoulders until he laid on the bed with her straddling his hips. Dragging her long nails against his chest, he arched under her and this made her smile.

With the heat in Hannibal’s eyes, it reminded her of the way Will looked at her after she had killed Yasha. The dark fire of desire just made her lick her lips as she leaned forward to encase his lips in a kiss. With a twist, Saskia was the one with her back to the bed with her legs on either side of Hannibal’s thighs as he brought her face up to his. 

Hannibal unbuttoned his trousers before shaking them off along with his shirt, leaving him in only dark boxer briefs. Saskia shrugged the robe off with Hannibal’s help, chucking all of that to the side as she was naked on the bed and he was in underwear that didn’t hide the growing erection. 

As Hannibal leaned down onto her, his chest pressed onto hers and he gently bit her lip every time she opened it before sealing it with another leg quivering kiss, Saskia reached for the bondage cuffs in the side table. 

She grinned and showed the thick leather handcuffs to him. “So who’s in charge this time?”

“You still smell faintly of Mason Verger,” Hannibal frowned as he trailed open kisses on her collarbone. “I’d rather you smell of Will and I but he isn’t in the mood tonight, so making you smell of me will suffice.”

“Guess I’m getting handcuffed unless you want to have a game of wrestle before so,” 

“I already won the chase,” Hannibal said, swallowing each of her next words as he decided on something else. “How do you feel about rope instead of the handcuffs?”

“Um, sure,” Saskia nodded and Hannibal climbed off of the bed. 

She hummed to herself as she watched Hannibal strut over to the wardrobe to bring out a small duffle bag. He brought it over to bed before opening it. Saskia sat up from her lying position, now sitting cross legged as she watched him open it to reveal two bundles of different coloured rope, and several other things that could be used during sex.

“Feel,” Hannibal passed both over to her, letting her hold one in each hand. “Maroon or black? Which feels better to you?”

“Maroon,” Saskia said after a moment as Hannibal took both from her and put the black rope away. 

“Arms together or spread?”

“You choose,”

“Arms spread then,” Even as he was tying her wrists to the bed posts, he made sure to keep her enticed by gently trailing his hands down her sides and with heated kisses. “Try tugging at them. Secure?”

“Yeah,” She breathed out.

“My safe word is stag, and what is yours?”

“Fox,” She tugged at the ropes, feeling the pinch at her wrists and released. “Are we going with the stop light system too?”

“Yes, and they are?”

“Green for go, yellow for pause, red for stop and discuss. Safe word for complete stop and cut loose,” Saskia grinned as Hannibal got back onto the bed and settled himself so he leaned over her. 

“Colour?”

“Green.”

“Good.”

And that was the last thing either of them said for the next hour or so.

Saskia loved dominating and being dominated during sex, it was a fight of wills between her and her partners and she won either way. By knowing that your partner was willing to give you what you knew you wanted without words, it made her happy. It was rare to find someone like that and she found two very willing participants at various times.

Their touch was the only ones she welcomed.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Hannibal gently kneaded the antibacterial lotion into both of Saskia’s wrists, they were slightly pink from where the rope had been pulled and tugged at. He sat in the kitchen with Saskia at the island as Will began to prepare a simple meal. Saskia yawned as Hannibal finished, making sure her wrists would heal before leaving a kiss on both of her knuckles and letting her finish the cup of English tea Will prepared for her.

“Is she still in a drop?” Will asked, referring to what happened to some people after an insense session of sex. The amount of adrenaline released would leave a person in a slump until they could rebalance themselves by themselves or with their partners.

“Perhaps,” Hannibal said as he kept an eye on her as he helped Will now. “We spent some time cuddling afterwards, and we both dropped then.”

“The tea should help her,”

“She should be back to normal within an hour or so, that what it took last time,”

Saskia yawned again. “She can hear you both, and she isn’t in a drop anymore. The tea helped, thank you. I just wanna cuddle again.” She put her head on her arm, only getting up from the seat when she wanted to. “I’m gonna go cuddle with the dogs. Get me when dinner’s ready, please.”

“Of course,” Will nodded.

“Thank you.” 

An hour later, Saskia was found on the floor before the fireplace. Within the pack of dogs, she curled up in the middle and used Hades as a pillow. Countess was curled around Saskia’s back and used the woman’s legs as a headrest. Winston was under the weighted blanket she brought with her, cuddling up to her chest as Spike laid half on Hades and half on Saskia’s back. The rest of the dogs were surrounding her, all in different states of sleep as Saskia kept her gaze on the burning fire. 

Unlike when Mason touched her shoulder, she didn’t even flinch when both of them crouched down to gently nudge her. 

Their touches were soft, gently, with the warmth that they all shared. 

She liked them. 

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Before Saskia came into their lives, the dogs stayed at WolfTrap, Will noticed. Since she came into their lives and started to live with Hannibal for her protection, Countess had wormed her way into Hannibal’s world and became a permanent fixture. The other dogs soon followed as Will began to spend a bit more time at Hannibal’s and wasn’t comfortable leaving his dogs alone for so long. With Saskia spending most of her days at home, she looked after the dogs and was able to focus on her writing a lot more when the dogs were around her.

Blanket over her legs, Saskia sat on the ground with her back against the couch again. She found that this position was one of the best for her writing style. The fireplace, when lit, would give her a small discretion when she needed to think for a moment before continuing to type away. 

The dogs always decided to lay on or near her.

Sometimes she had her headphones in, other times she just listened to the heartbeats of the dogs and the crackling of the fire, and very few times she would listen to Hannibal play the piano. She liked those days when a melody wafted through the house, calming her and creating a clearer pretense in her mind. She wrote best on those days. 

With a light thunderstorm, the rain added to the music and reminded her of the forest.

“If you kick me one more time, Countess,” Saskia warned as she typed away at the laptop on her lap. Countess was lying next to her, making Saskia move her arm until it laid over most of her head as she slept there. The dog just huffed and sneezed. “Thanks.”

Will laughed from behind her, tinkering with a piece of fishing gear that he wanted to finish fixing. “She sneezed into your face again, didn’t she?”

“Yep.”

A sudden clap of thunder had Pip the pug jumping into her lap with a squeal. Saskia quickly cuddled him up to her chin, feeling him whine and tremble. He just sat there, pouting with each clap of thunder and soon enough jumped from her to the couch before running headfirst into Will’s lap.

Pip hiccuped, looking confused for a second before he hiccuped again. He was shocked, lowly growling each time it escaped before barking at Will when he laughed. He hiccuped again, shaking with his growl before he nestled back into Will’s lap.

Sometimes Will wasn’t having a good mental day, other times it was Saskia, but very rarely was it Hannibal. 

For thoses days that Will was ready to just give up on human interactions, some calm time with the dogs piled on top of him or near him while he worked on a piece of his work in progress boat, or fishing gear, would greatly help. For Saskia, it was a hot bath or shower with some time on the couch with a cup of hot English tea in her hands while she listened to Hannibal’s music.

When it was Hannibal’s rare days, he seemed to stay at the office longer than needed and not answer his phone. Saskia had found a genuine Thai take out place that even Hannibal approved of, and so on those bad days of his where he was ready to snap a neck of someone rude, she would order it to the office and then Will and she would drive there. 

Hannibal liked to play music a little too much, so when they brought food to the office for dinner, he would play on the piano he had in the office. He knew both of them would settle on the couches, sitting next to each other until one of them got cold and sat closer.

By the time he finished, he knew he would need to wake both of them up. 

Saskia and Will had a bad habit of falling asleep whenever he played the piano, and he liked the fact that they were comfortable to fall asleep in his presence. 

It always calmed him knowing that they were comfortable with him. Both of them knew where he kept his scalpels, and that he always had his blade in his pocket. They knew that he wouldn’t hurt them without a very good reason, and that reason would only be if there was absolutely no other option to save them. 

Hannibal sighed as he realised.

Saskia had wormed her way into their lives like a parasite, taking over very slowly until she was part of it, and if she wasn’t, she would leave a gaping hole. Will had done the same to them, but Hannibal was the one to start the game with Will. 

While Will could get into the heads of people and know why they did what they did, Saskia would copy and paste interactions to get her way.

There were no words to say how nice it felt to not have to wear a mask around the two most important people in his life. 

It didn’t take long for him to incorporate this image, this beautiful memory into his mind palace, placing it very securely near his mother’s room, and between the lake where he and Mischa used to play, the office where he met Will, and the first instance he met Saskia in her house. 

The perfect place for them, hidden but close to heart.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The tailor shop was small and mostly unknown by the public.

Rene greeted both women with kisses on the cheeks as they came into his shop. Margot was one of Rene’s oldest clients and had suggested him for Saskia’s alterations and tailored clothing. Finding clothes that Saskia liked and fit well was difficult when you were picky and had a figure that wasn’t rectangle.

“Good morning, beauties,” He beamed, kissing them both on each cheek as they greeted him back. “How’s the little one? May I?”

Margot nodded, letting him gently touch the growing bump. At almost seventeen weeks pregnant, she was starting to show a lot more. She wore loose coats or sarves a lot, and with the cold weather, it wasn’t suspicious. 

“He has started to move around now,” Margot said, a small smile on her lips as she watched both tailor and writer pause. “I found out the gender an hour ago.”

“Congratulations!” Rene said. “He’s going to be just as beautiful as his mother. Are you here to get a suit tailored? I know Saskia has a few pieces to try on.”

“Yes, I need to get a suit or two done because someone has decided he didn’t want me fitting into them anymore,” Margot nodded, looking down accusingly at her growing belly. 

“Good. Right.” Rene muttered, gesturing for his assistant. “Leni, can you take Margot to mirror and start measuring her? I’ll check your work after I get Saskia sorted with her clothes.”

Leni nodded and easily brought Margot to the mirror, asking her to take her coat and jacket off before beginning to measure. Rene dragged Saskia over to the dressing room, hanging up the pieces Saskia had brought in to be tailored and brought in. He gently shoved her in, giving her instructions to change into each outfit and show him after each one. 

Saskia took her shoes, jeans, and shirt off, knowing she was going to try on the new suit first. 

She stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself for a moment. 

She was healthy as ever, kickboxing and martial arts with Harumi did that. Hannibal kept all his dishes healthy with a large variety of dishes and a mix of treats. The black thong and bra set was beautiful against her skin, and very much comfortable. 

She disliked the scar on her lower abdomen. It was very low, almost completely hidden by her underwear. Still a pinky tone, it wouldn’t turn pale for a while. The middle of the scar was slightly thicker than the rest but all of the scar was less than half an inch thick. 

The scar on her shoulder was healed nicely. No ugliness there, only the pride of surviving something like that. She always showed that scar off if there was an occasion because it was a conversation starter. 

The cuts on the inside of her wrist were gone, now very faint on her skin. 

She had other scars; one on her cheek from when she was beat up and realised the desire to hunt, the tiny self harm ones from her youth that littered her hips and a small portion of her thighs, and the one on the back of her head near the base of her hairline.

Saskia smiled to herself, touching each of the scars with a shuddering sigh.

She survived each and every one of these.

She survived herself.

She survived.

Shrugging on the black shirt, Saskia tucked it into maroon trousers and placed the jacket over an arm. 

“So,” Saskia said, coming out of the dressing room and into the mirrored portion of the shop. “How do I look? Amazing, right?”

“So much vanity in a pretty package,” Rene shook his head. “But I have to say, I outdid myself.”

“That you did,” Saskia allowed Rene to help her put on the jacket. 

“If you feel here,” Rene said, tucking his hand into the jacket so it was against the left rib cage area. “There is a pocket that will conceal the gun and still keep your silhouette flawless.”

“You’re amazing, Rene.”

“I know.” He patted her on the arm before shoving her shoulder. “Now go get that pretty little butt of yours into that dressing room and try everything else on too.” 

“It’s pretty but it ain’t little, Rene,” 

“I know, Saskia,” He laughed. “I’m the one that has to find trousers that fit that ass of yours. Now, get in and change. I need to know if I need to fix any mistakes. Leni, how’s it going?”

“Good!”

Saskia went back into the dressing room and finished the outfits.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Their next stop was the nail salon. Since it was a weekday, there weren’t many people in the shop and having appointments always made them a priority.

“What’re you having?”

“Apres Gel Nail Extensions, please” Saskia said politely. 

“What shape? We have stiletto, coffin, long coffin, square, long square, almond, and long almond,”

“Long coffin,” 

“I’ll have gel,” Margot told her nail technician. “Unlike someone, I can’t deal with long nails without making myself go crazy.”

Saskia smirked. “I’ve had Apres Gel done since I was fifteen. You get used to them after so long. So, what colour are you getting?”

“Milk bottle, I think,” Margot said. “It’s simple but visible. What about you?”

Saskia stuck her thumb, pointer finger, and her pinky finger out. “Black.” She swapped her fingers, putting her middle and ring finger out while the other went down. “Dark red. I almost always do solid colours.”

About twenty minutes into their appointment, a certain female psychiatrist appeared. To Saskia’s satisfaction, Margot and Alana hit off quite easily. She smiled, knowing this would be good. Margot would owe her a favor for what would happen to Mason, and she could keep Alana off of her for now.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The restaurant was lowly lit with small candles at each table and some hanging lights. Saskia sat alone at one of the booths near the back. Saskia felt that Countess didn’t need to come, she didn’t need any sort of comfort anymore really. 

With a slight fancy tone of the decorations and food, Saskia had decided on a coffee coloured skirt with a black turtleneck and matching coffee coloured coat. She even had her hair put up into a simple twist updo. Her Vivienne Westwood clutch concealed her gun, and had enough room for her tablet, phone, and any small trinkets she carried with her. 

The two men she was waiting for appeared at the front of the restaurant, and neither were Hannibal and Will. Carlo and Matteo Deogracias appeared at the front, quickly getting hugged and kissed by the hostess manning the front. 

They were led over to Saskia’s table, both taking their hats off as they greeted her with a ‘Miss Alasite’. They sat down across from her as the hostess smiled.

“What can I get you for drinks?” She asked. “These two will have their usual coffee. I will never understand how you boys drink it so late at night.”

“It’s only half past five, Patty,” Carlo said. 

“I’ll have a flat white but with double espresso,” Saskia smiled lightly. 

“You’re the same as them,” Patty shook her head with a grin, jotting it down. “You two are having the usual, aren’t you? And you?”

“Crespelle with Ricotta and Spinach, please,”

“Of course,” Patty jotted it down, looking between Saskia and the both Deogracias men. “Is this business or pleasure?”

“Business,” Saskia said. “And we’d best get to it.”

“Of course, I’ll bring the coffees in a few minutes but the meals will take another twenty,” She said and nodded once. 

“Why did you ask us here, Miss Alasite?” Carlo asked, his eyes narrowing as Saskia allowed a tiny self satisfied smile onto her lips.

“Margot Verger wants to expand the Verger meat industry from just pigs to include cows,” Saskia simply said. “And she can’t with Mason being in charge of the business.”

“What’s this got to do with us?” Matteo inquired. “Mr Verger’s our boss.”

“Techanally, he isn’t. You work for the Verger family industry. Even with Margot’s disownment from the inheritance, she still has a right to the family business if the current head is dead,” 

Matteo leaned forward, lowering his voice. “You want us to kill Mason Verger?”

“I don’t want you to kill him, but if you, perhaps, left the feeding area of the pigs open when he comes in to check on them and he could trip into it,” 

“Why would we do this?”

“Because I know that you’ve got a couple nieces and nephews attending the Christian summer camp that the Verger family founded,” She thanked Patty when she brought the coffees out to them and only a minute later, the meals. 

“What about the camp?”

“Mason Verger was convicted of… abusing the children there,” Saskia took a breath in, sipping her coffee to calm her anger at the mere thought of him. “He was able to get the charges expunged, he only had to do community service for a time. He abused the children mentally and physically, but almost no one believed the children because they were from the foster system. Margot is going to have a son, she doesn't want Mason to be there to abuse him anymore than he abused her.” 

“He… what?” 

Neither of them looked well after what she said. At least she didn’t have to lie about what he did. Having friends in high places was a good thing when it came to this kind of stuff, and knowing how to get it legally was even better. 

“I’ve got the charges right here,” Saskia said as she brought out her tablet and logged onto a document. “There are about four pages of charges, and he was only convicted of half of them because the system refused to allow certain children to testify. Do you really want to work for a man that abuses and assaults women and children and gets away with it without a mark on his record?”

Their faces said it all. 

They nodded grimly and agreed to what she asked. 

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The Nook and Corner Bookshop was a little unusual in the fact that it was much bigger on the inside compared to the outside. The main section of the shop was crowded with people lining up to get the newly released book. Saskia, Abigail, and the owner of the shop were talking in the back upper office that outlooked the main section.

Abigail was pacing as far away from the side as she could, wringing her hands together as Saskia unbuckled Countess. The dog grabbed Abigail by the sleeve, careful to keep from tearing it as she guided Abigail to the buttoned leather sofa.

“Take a sip before you pass out because of your nerves,” Niamh gave Abigail the cup and saucer of Camomile tea, letting the girl drink it to calm herself down. “And I thought I was nervous today.”

“It’ll be fine,” Saskia stated. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Today would be the day Abigail’s book would be signed by the authors for fans that wanted it, and with Saskia’s reputation of being Syn, many people were here to get the newest of her creations, even if it was nonfiction. It was publicly released a week ago but the sales skyrocketed in the few hours of it being out. So now everyone wanted to get an interview with Abigail and the author.

Saskia didn’t want another interview ever again in her life. She had enough when she outed herself as Syn. She knew Abigail didn’t want to do the interviews without some sort of emotional support, so there was a little surprise for her in a few minutes. 

Niamh checked her phone when it beeped, smiling and sending a quick text. 

Abigail was fidgeting and tapping her fingers constantly. She jumped when she saw someone climb up the stairs, almost launching herself in her girlfriend’s arms.

“Careful, Ab,” Maeve smiled, hugging Abigail closely. “Don’t make me fall down the stairs.”

“I thought you couldn’t come down, you said one of your professors was being a dick about an assignment?”

“Someone,” Maeve gave Saskia a glance as the older woman shrugged sheepishly, “called the professor and was able to get an extension for me.”

“I’ve had enough of interviews for a lifetime,” Saskia simply said. “I rather keep out of the spotlight for this. It’s your day, Abigail. It’s your story, I just helped you put it into words when you could not.”

Saskia froze when Abigail suddenly came over and hugged her, but Saskia smiled down at her and hugged her back. Abigail came to just above her chin when Saskia wore heels, she was hug sized. 

“You’ll do fine out there,” Saskia said as Abigail lifted her face from Saskia’s chest. Saskia kissed her forehead lightly, giving her courage. “You’ve got Maeve with you, and if you want, you can have Countess down there with you.”

“Yes, please,” She said meekly. 

Saskia nodded. “I’ll be up here if you need me. Shout or get Countess to get me and I’ll be down there with you within a second.”

“Thank you,”

“No problem.”

Maeve and Abigail quickly got downstairs, Countess coming tightly behind them.

Niamh picked up one of the signed copies of the new book, signed by Syn and Abigail, and handed Saskia it.

The cover was beautiful. With a mostly dark forest theme, there was a girl and her father on the cover, both employed models for this. Both wore hunting gear, with the girl standing in front of her father while he held her shoulders with a knife in one hand. Behind him was a large array of antlers coming from his back, a pair for each of his confirmed kills, including the ones done by the CopyCat. 

The title was white, plain and simple in firm lettering across the top and bottom of the cover.

**_Minnesota Shrike and daughter:_ **

**_True story of Abigail Hobbs and how she survived._ **

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Margot was almost five month pregnant when she invited Saskia  _ and  _ Alana to the manor for lunch. 

Saskia was so glad they were getting along now. Alana wouldn’t be suspicious of anything that would happen within the next few hours as Saskia had asked Mason Verger if she could get a fresh pig slaughtered. After batting her eyes, Mason agreed and jutted an arm out for her to take. 

They got to the slaughter house so Saskia could pick out a pig, Carlo nodding to her with the tiniest of smiles as he confirmed that he did as they agreed. He would get paid handsomely for this, and the Christian camp would get a large new donation. 

Saskia took her time looking at the pigs from her advantage point on the platform, Mason standing a little too close to her side.

“Do you know which pig you want?”

She smiled, looking him up and down. “I do.”

“Which one would that be?”

“it’s very hard to choose, isn’t it?” She placed her hand onto the railing, feeling how loose it is. A simple trip into it would be enough to dislodge it. “There are so many factors you have to take into account. How much meat you want on it, how thick the fat. I’d think the breeding of them would be the most important bit.”

She wanted to gag at his expression when she mentioned breeding. But it worked, she got his attention as he stood next to her with a leering smile. 

“Just look at you, Saskia,” He said, a hand on her hip as he stepped closer to her. “A beautiful woman just begging to be put into her place. So beautiful and fiesty. Margot was the same until she tried to prove she was straight but now she’s pregnant and no longer any fun.”

“You’re just a man who’s looking for the right one to put you in your own place,” Her lips curled over her teeth, letting her flash them in warning but it just seemed to excite him. 

His eyes widened with lust as they gazed down the tight jeans she wore. “Isn’t my place with you?”

Saskia smiled slyly, leaning forward until he was barely leaning against the unknowingly loose railing. She suddenly stepped back, planting one foot onto his chest and shoving him back. He tried to catch the railing and he did, making it fall with him as crashed next to him. 

“With me, your place would be as my foot rest,” Saskia pressed the button for the pig pen before she crouched down, letting herself look over the edge as she watched the pigs appear. His glasses cracked under the weight of the pigs as they stampeded in, already beginning to bite and gnaw at his heels and tearing through his achilles’ heel. 

She watched for a minute before deciding she had to go back to the other women. Passing both Deogracias brothers, she handed them a check each. They could easily pay any debts off and have enough for any future children’s education. They could live comfortably off this, but they would continue to work for Margot as soon as Mason was found to be eaten tomorrow morning.

With his screams, it wouldn’t take long for the pigs to begin to properly tear him apart. If there was anything left, Deogracias brothers would report that they found their employer eaten by the pigs. 

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

It took the better part of a month for Margot to employ Saskia as a main lawyer until she received the inheritance money. With the loophole of a male heir, Margot was able to gain control over the money her father had left her brother. While the business would have been hers regardless of her father’s will, she wouldn’t have the money to keep the manor and all of the land. It would have taken months, perhaps years to actually accumulate that much wealth.

She was glad she was going to have a son. 

There were no other loopholes for any of Margot’s distant relatives to get the money, Saskia made sure of that. 

Saskia had been the one to go through this exact same circumstance with relatives trying to take her father’s money. Her sisters tried to do the same with their grandmother’s money, but it had been left to Saskia and her alone. Some cousins of her father’s tried to say that that money belonged to her grandfather and they had a right to it. 

None of her father’s money was her grandfather’s in any aspect.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Saskia felt her phone vibrate, picking it up as she saw an unknown number appear. She brought it upto her ear as her nail tapped against the table. “Hello?” 

“This is Saskia’s phone number?” A vaguely familiar voice said, a scared tone in her voice. 

“Marie, is that you?”

“Thank god, it is your number! Look, Abigail’s missing,”

“What do you mean by  _ Abigail’s missing _ ?”

“She went to the shop about an hour ago and the shop is only a ten minute walk. I already tried to call her but her phone goes straight to voicemail. I even went out to see what’s taking her so long and found her phone smashed on the ground. I can’t find her!”

Saskia rubbed a head down her hairline before exhaling to keep herself centred. 

“Shit. Okay, Marie. First, you need to calm down first. Take a breath, just like that,” She sprinted to the kitchen because she knew Hannibal was starting up dinner. “Was there anything else you saw? Think, Marie.”

“What is it, Saskia?” Hannibal stopped his cutting of the spring onions. “Did something happen?”

“Abigail’s missing,” She said in one breath. “Marie found my number. Abigail went to the corner shop about an hour ago and hasn’t returned. Marie went to try and find her and found Abigail’s phone smashed on the ground.”

Hannibal turned everything off with ease, wiping his hands clean before taking off his half apron. “Get dressed. I’ll call Will and Jack. You call Alana Bloom. She needs to be aware that Abigail could spiral if she’s in Leroy’s clutches. Bring Countess, and Will will bring Hades, they might be able to scent her.”

“Got it. Countess, get the collars,” Saskia called over her shoulder before returning to the phone. “Marie, I’m going to put you on hold. Are you back at your dorm?” 

“I’m inside,” 

“Stay there and stay alert, you’ll be fine there,”

Alana took too long to answer, so Saskia left the phone on speaker each time she tried to call. This allowed her to get dressed. She didn’t have time for anything fancy. Combat boots, jeans, hoodie, and jacket. She called Margot, remembering that Alana was supposed to be on a date with her, and luckily she picked up.

“Is Alana with you?”

“Yes, she’s—”

“Give her the phone,” Saskia almost snapped, listening carefully as she heard Hannibal call some people too. “Alana?”

“I’m here,” She sounded sleepy. “What’s wrong?”

“Abigail’s missing,” Saskia placed her hair into a quick ponytail and bound it. “Hannibal is calling Will and Jack before we’re making our way to the uni.”

“Oh my god!” There was rustling on the other side and a thud as Alana fell, probably out of a bed. “Do you think it’s Leroy Harris?”

“I’ve got a bad feeling it is,” Saskia shrugged the jacket on as she made her way downstairs to find Hannibal holding both sets of keys. He passed her the Range Rover keys as he took the keys to his own car. “Hannibal says he’s going to come pick you up. Are you at Margot’s?”

“No, we’re both at mine. Margot says she’ll have her chauffeur bring her car to mine. I’ll be ready soon. Tell Hannibal to come in straight away.”

Saskia ended the call without any words.

They were lodged in her throat, wanting to be released but refusing to come out.

She would prefer to lodge her foot into a very special place of Leroy Harris’ instead.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**_’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves,_ **

**_Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:_ **

**_All mimsy were the borogoves,_ **

**_And the mome raths outgrabe._ **

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

It took less than two hours to get to the university that Abigail was attending in Pennsylvania, and within that time Saskia’s anger had boiled down to a simple, spitting simmer of rage that stayed below her skin.

“We’re on our way there,” Will had said after Saskia answered the call. “I’m with Jack. We’ll be at the university campus within an hour.”

“I’m twenty minutes out,” Saskia said, putting the call on speaker. “I’m going straight to the dorms to see Marie. Poor girl was about to have a panic attack when she called me. Alana’s calling me, I’ll patch her into the call too. She’s with Hannibal.”

“Saskia?”

“Here, Jack and Will are on the other line too,”

“Okay, good. Are you heading for the campus too? We’ll be there within forty minutes.”

“What’s going to happen when we get there, Jack?” Saskia asked.

“I’ve already contacted the local PD and told them the situation, or as much as they need to know for now,” Jack stated, “They know that a student is missing and there is a high chance of them being held hostage by a serial killer. I haven’t told them anything about who she is yet. They won’t actually start an investigation until the FBI gets there.”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The first place Saskia went to when she arrived was the dorm. She had already called Marie back, asking which dorm room she was in before going in to find Marie passing back and forth. Before Saskia could even get to the girl, Countess jumped forward, took Marie by the sleeve and pulled her to one of the beds and made her sit. Countess draped herself across Marie’s lap, refusing to let the girl get up.

“I guess that works too, Countess,” She shook her head, sitting down next to the girl with a comforting smile. 

Gods, she hated comforting people. She understood that sometimes a person actually needed the comfort, Saskia knew that sometimes she did too, but a lot of people didn’t realise that they could detach themselves from their emotions for the time. Some would call it shock, but Saskia would call it prioritising things.

Take your emotions, place them into suitable boxes, preferable ones with lockable lids, and forget about the chemicals inside your head that are trying to control you. You are the one in charge, not the microscopic electrical impulses and chemical explosions inside of you.

But even now, Saskia was having a difficult time wrangling her anger into the appropriate box. It was an icy heat under her skin, barely contained by sheer will alone as Saskia knew she would make him atone for his sins against her.

Though not at all religious, Saskia was raised in a Roman Catholic household, even if her mother was considered a non practising catholic. Saskia knew the tales that the Bible weaved, of the stories of good and evil, right and wrong, saint and sinner. 

Saskia didn’t like to think in black and white when there was a whole rainbow of colours that could suitably explain chosen actions against the mere thoughts they had.

There was no such thing as pure in her mind. Of course, she knew that innocence existed, all children were innocent, and she never dared hurt a child. (even if she had thoughts of doing it because  _ Gods, someone shut that kid up before I do!.)  _ Saskia would never knowingly kill anyone under the age of eighteen, they were considered a child in her eyes, an old child but a child nonetheless. 

They knew nothing of the world yet, not seen the horrors and tradiagies that plagued it, and since they hadn’t added to it, they didn’t deserve death in her eyes. 

Another twenty minutes flew by, and Saskia hadn’t noticed. Marie was calm, tear marks on her cheeks but otherwise she didn’t make any other signs of sadness. 

Hannibal walked into the room like he owned it, getting Marie to stand up and hugging her softly as he muttered that everything was going to be okay. Alana followed after him, coming to stand next to Abigail’s bed where Saskia sat on the edge.

Saskia sat with her elbows on her knees, hands clasped together in front of her as she thought. She didn’t give Alana an acknowledgement when she spoke, but Saskia heard it, processed it, and decided it wasn’t worth memorising. 

Saskia knew Abigail was going to be okay, but she had a small feeling of dread that Abigail might be traumatised yet again. She had been able to get the girl to come out of her shell and she didn’t want Abigail to get back in it to protect herself from anyone or anything that could potentially hurt her. 

A hand lifted her chin, allowing Hannibal’s crouched form in front of her to appear and solidify in her vision. His eyes were narrowed the slightest bit and his lips pinched ever so much that it was barely seeable, his way of saying that he was concerned.

Saskia sat upright, suddenly completely aware that all of them were looking at her. 

“Are you sure you’re alright, Saskia?” 

She muttered her next words, clear and low so only Hannibal heard them,  _ “Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun, The frumious Bandersnatch!” _ She nodded her head, shaking off the unwanted nerves. “Either Leroy needs to be put down, or put away. A monster of his creation shouldn’t be allowed to live freely.”

Hannibal inclined his head, standing up as he breathed in. “Hello, Will, Jack.”

“Miss, are you able to give a statement?” Jack asked Marie politely, to which she nodded.

Alana walked over to her, watching Countess as she got up and off of the girl. Alana followed Marie outside after grabbing a coat for the girl, Jack close behind as they left the dorm room and into the cold mid March evening. 

“Where could he have taken her?” Will asked out loud. 

“He’s going to wait until midnight to kill her,”

“Why midnight? It wasn’t mentioned in your book.”

“Today is the twentieth, the twenty first victim is killed on the twenty first.”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Very few times in her life has Saskia Alasite been scared, but Alexandria Alasite had been scared for most of her life. From abusive mother, distant father, lying sisters, and monstrous Exes, Alexandria had a life full of different amounts of pain that had turned her into Saskia. 

She remembered when she still went by her given name, it had been more than a decade ago when she had introduced herself as that. Even her documents had now stated her prefered nickname. It suited her better, this new version of herself that grew from the meek child to a timid teen to a peaceful adult.

Peaceful didn't mean harmless.

Peaceful meant you were capable of great violence. If you were not capable of that violence, you were harmless.

While the version of herself that was Alexandria was harmless, the variation of Saskia was peaceful with a savage track record.

If she had to guess, she slowly started to become Saskia when she was attacked by the two girls in her teenage years. It was one of the earliest memories she had where she wasn’t afraid of pain, of sorrow, of being hurt.

While Alexandria was the victim she used to be, Saskia was the survivor she became. And a survivor did what they did best, survive by any means necessary, even if it meant creating a monster to keep you safe.

Gods, she regretted creating Leroy Harris into what he was now.

Will would have said that it wasn’t her fault but it was. 

Saskia took a perfectly good, functional human being and watched him break under her scrutiny for perfection. She took his mind, breaking it, shattering it into tiny pieces before she picked the ones she liked and rearranged them to fit back together. She laced the edges with a rotting gold, bland and greying, that would soon later decay into infection. She took his body, showing him how to use it to the best effects, and watched him flourish under her guidance. His emotional state was the hardest bit to control, instead of letting her leave after she grew bored of her creation, he let her go for a time before coming back to show just how much he grew. 

He wanted her back for years. She had left him just like a God did its creation after a time. She knew exactly when her work was done, or rather when it could be left to evolve, and evolve he did. He evolved a love that was one part adoration, two parts obsession, and too many parts insanity as the gold around the edges of his broken mind let the pieces fall back to the ground where he picked the mud splattered sections and pocketed them.

The Greek had several different types of love. 

She felt  _ Eros,  _ the lustful and passionate love for him for a time, and for others in her life. But that passionate love only lasted for so long, until she realised it was more  _ Ludus,  _ the type of love that was usually associated with young love, almost a playful game that didn’t last long.

As his creator, she felt an unconditional love towards her creation of him.  _ Agape  _ was a good word to describe what the Christian God felt towards mankind, the type of love that didn’t take into account the worthiness of the person. One that cannot be broken no matter what happened.

Saskia did not feel love towards Leroy Harris, and hadn’t ever since he decided to take her books and desecrate her life’s work. That was something she could not forgive because he knew what her writing meant to her, and by taking it and making it reality, he had put the final nails into the coffin he would eventually call his home.

Just as a Christian couldn’t pick and choose what they wanted to follow in the Bible, Leroy couldn’t pick and choose what he wanted to do with her books. He defiled her writings, taking what he wanted and interpreted them as he saw fit.

This angered her more than it should have.

Was this what the gods felt when their creations strayed away from what they had chosen for them?

She would never know.

“The fire alarm was pulled in one of the lecture buildings,” Alana ran back into the room, her eyes wide.

Saskia stood up, brushing off her trousers with a stony face as she shoved her anger into the correct box and filed it away for the time being.

There was no time for emotions.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

**_He took his vorpal sword in hand;_ **

**_Long time the manxome foe he sought—_ **

**_So rested he by the Tumtum tree,_ **

**_And stood awhile in thought._ **

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The lecture building in question was one that was dedicated to humanities, and the one that Leroy Harris was holed up in was the lecture room for law and sometimes a room for one branch of Religious studies or another. 

It wasn’t a very large room for a lecture hall. With about two, maybe two and a half, dozen off brown coloured seats, all tucked up neatly in their rows, the room seemed bigger than it actually was. The huge windows that sat to one wall had long curtains obscuring the vision of the people outside.

The police and FBI had already tried to send someone in, but quite quickly realised that if they wanted to keep their men alive, they shouldn’t allow them in. One lay motionless on a gurney already, stabbed in the throat where his vest and helmet didn’t protect. 

Leroy Harris paced in front of the desk, knowing the girl’s eyes were on him. He had strapped her to the desk chair, binding her with leather ropes at the shoulders, hips, elbows, wrists, knees, and feet. It would take quite a bit for her to get out of them, he knew. 

He didn’t want to kill this girl. She hadn’t done anything to him, not even when she was able to speak like now. Nothing was gagging her and yet she was calm and quiet, but he knew that this was a facade. 

What was it with women lying to him?

He shook his head as he paced, the bloodied knife in his hand as he twisted his wrist as he walked. He could hear them outside the door. They didn’t dare open it again because he had already injured two of their men within moments of it opening. 

The windows were covered in a dewy condensation, forcing him to pull the curtain back just enough to wipe at the glass. He watched as the police and FBi had the building surrounded. There were only two ways out of the building, the front door and the roof. He didn’t fancy a dive onto the cement below so he stayed where he was, safe in the room while he held the girl hostage. 

Another three people came out of the opposite building, one that was usually a dorm, and then he paused to watch them walk closer.

There she was with  _ them  _ again. 

Why was she always with them? 

Or, why were  _ they  _ with  _ her _ ?

Even Leroy knew she deserved better than them, better than anything they could offer. She had refused his advances, and there she was, with them. 

Even he was below her but he knew his place. She hadn’t realised where his place was. He was supposed to be her advisor, her helper, her partner, and her lover. 

Though he felt sorry for the incident with the knife, he hoped the gift of the severed womb would be enough to show his love for her. She had to know that she had scared him that day in the forest, telling him he would be imprisoned, didn’t she?

He had followed the two men for a while now, and he was sick at the sight of them with her. 

They stood next to her, one of either side. When one left her side, the other stayed to speak to her. He could see the affection in all of their movements from where he stood in the room, mostly hidden. It felt intimate to watch them interact, it wasn’t right how calm and serene Saskia looked with them. She was supposed to be like that with him.

He was the one to help her kill Samson. He killed her mother for her. He had planned on killing Evelett too but he couldn’t get to her. He was the one to return a piece of her back to her. Though she couldn’t have children anymore, it didn’t mean they couldn’t still raise a family. 

She was supposed to be with him. 

Picking up the walkie talkie the police had tossed into the room, he chose his next words carefully.

“I want to speak to her alone.”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The Greek had another type of love.

_ Mania.  _

**_Obsession._ **

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Jack stood to the side as an officer spoke to him, telling him of Leroy Harris’ request. He wanted to say no, to say  _ hell no and fuck off _ to him but he couldn’t. He had to ponder for a moment before coming to the trio, they had to decide. 

“He says he won’t speak to anyone,” Jack started, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. “He will only talk with Saskia in person and alone.”

Will turned to her, knowing she was already weighing the pros against the cons as she did when faced with a decision like this. “You can’t go in!”

She sighed. 

“He’s got Abigail, Will,” Saskia bit the side of her thumb. “I have to go in or he will kill her. We’re already at twenty victims, I’m not going to allow Abigail to be the next one.”

Will inhaled, his nostrils flaring in anger as he watched her eyes, her blank, cold eyes that were calculating the risk. Those eyes told him he had to trust her on this.

Stopping a passing FBI agent, he asked for a bulletproof vest and a FBI jacket. In situations like this, they were always plentiful. He looked back at Saskia with cold determination in his eyes. “If you’re going in, you’re putting a vest on and keeping it on. Do you have your gun on you?”

Saskia lifted her left foot, showing the very small gun she had also purchased. It fit inside the band of her boots and was hidden by her jeans.

They handed Will the vest and jacket. He nodded for Saskia to take off her jacket so he could put the vest on her. 

Knowing the hoodie would be too bulky for the vest to be put on properly, she shrugged it and her coat off. That left her in a black sports bra which left little warmth as the wind blew. Will undid the vest, helping her put it on before velcroing it tightly against her so he could have some assurance that it would try and keep her safe. He would have prefered to keep her out of all of this but when she had a goal in mind, it was hard to distract her. 

Will untucked her trapped hair from the back of the vest, letting her put her pullover hoodie on before letting her shrug the FBI jacket on. 

“You’ll have to be escorted in but you’re going into the room alone,” Jack’s face was creased with anger and slight worry. “There is a mic on the side of the vest, we’ll be able to hear you. All you really need to remember is that when you say Pumpkin, that will signal for us to come in.”

“You will not take any unneeded risk, will you?” Hannibal said, a hand on her bicep in an almost painful grip.

She shook her head, taking his hand off of her arm and held in her own. She gave it a squeeze which was returned. “ _ And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came!” _

Saskia held a small smile as she felt their sides. Will had to hold Countess back as Saskia walked. It was almost painful to hear the groans and whines of her dog as she got closer to the door. Looking back a single time when she reached the door, she took a breath in and with a smile, she nodded once.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

As soon as she caught sight of him, she softly frowned in concern. Of course she was concerned with him, he had patches of blood around his hand but none of it was his, he assured her. She looked happier to know that.

“Why did you do this?” She asked.

It was a stupid question. “Because it was the only way you’d see me. You don’t want to see me so I made it so you had to.”

“Why would you take Abigail?”

“Because you care for her. You wrote her book, of course you cared for her. It made sense for her to be the reason for you to get back into the light.” He pocketed the knife, realising that her focus was on him and not what he had. “You wouldn’t come by yourself so I made it so we could be alone together, like old times.”

She exhaled slowly, her shoulders slumping. “Like old times…”

“See? You understand why I had to do what I did. I didn’t mean to hurt her but she put up quite a fight.”

“Is she alright?” Her eyes darted to the girl and relaxed when the girl nodded. “I’m not surprised she put up a fight, she’s a survivor after all.”

“We’re all survivors, aren’t we? She survived that, you survived me, and I survived you. I survived the game.”

Her smile was soft, warm, welcoming, beautiful. She looked so beautiful with her eyes bright and lips curling into the grin of acceptance she always had around him. It was a smile she never had around  _ them.  _ He was the only one to get to see this.

“You survived,” She repeated, taking a step closer and watched his face for any reactions. When there wasn’t, she took another step and watched a doe eyed smile appear on his face. “You did so well. No one was supposed to survive the game and yet you won. I’m not surprised. You had potential but I never knew you could win.”

“I won? Yes, I did win, didn’t I? Is there a prize for winning?”

She shook her head. “Is there any certain prize you want?”

“I want you,” He said without pause. “You fully and wholly be mine. I want to be yours and you be mine. Your shoulder, how is it?”

“It’s fine,” He didn’t look pleased by that answer. “It healed, I healed. It’s barely there anymore.” That made him happy. “Isn’t it the full moon tonight? Do you want to go upstairs to watch it? I remember we used to do that all the time. I love doing that with you. I miss that, the long nights and early morning.”

She used present tense. She loved watching the full moon with him, even after years of not doing it. She must have remembered it fondly, thus remembering him fondly like she always should. 

Earlier, he had heard that the building was evacuated. There weren’t any police in there anymore, so it was safe for them to walk upstairs. But what about the girl? He was surprised she hadn’t asked about her more. She must’ve not cared about her as much as he had thought.

“And her?” He asked, nodding towards the bound girl.

She shook her head, holding her hand out non threateningly. “Leave her. I just wanna do as we used to. God, I missed doing that with you. It’s been… lonely, I guess.”

Of course she was lonely. He hadn’t been there for years. She had realised that he was the right one for her, after all of the trials of others he allowed, she saw the truth. 

He touched her hand, holding it in his hand softly as he more or less pulled her towards the stairs that allowed them to go upstairs. It took less than a few minutes to get to the roof but it was worth the look on her face. 

She was beautiful, eternally and utterly god like in her beautiful with the moon making her glow softly. He smiled at her own smile, the little curl of the lips at the moonlight dancing around her. 

He went to suddenly hug her, feeling the stiff material under her hoodie.

She looked at him, her eyes sad with a pout on her lips. “I’m sorry. They wouldn’t let me in without it… I really wanted to see you so I had to agree to their demands.”

The pout was so cute and so sad. She wouldn’t lie to him, not again. 

Saskia made sure to keep hugging him, keeping his back to the edge of the roof where she could see the police and FBI going into the building. She used a hand, waving upwards and stopped when she noticed that Jack put a thumbs up. She continued to hug him, using her keen hearing to know that Abigail had been taken by the thuds of footsteps before she came out and was quickly hidden. 

She knew that there was some sort of SWAT team on the roof, but they couldn’t do anything while she was there because she could be used as a hostage. 

“Who was going to be your twenty-first victim, Lee?” She used her childhood pet name for him, knowing that it would butter him up.

“It was supposed to be you,” He said quickly, “Because I thought you had betrayed me, left me alone. But I was wrong. You’ve come back. Of course, you had to. We will end this like we started, together.”

Saskia knew he meant that both of them would tip over the edge, knowing that the ground would most likely kill both of them. Both of them stood close to the edge of the roof, too close for Saskia’s liking. She knew she had to convince him of anything he wanted to think, not too difficult when she knew what she was in his eyes.

A god.

“Like we started, we end," He said, his smile utterly euphoric as he watched Saskia get out of the hug and stare at the moon. He held her hand, kissing her knuckles as he took a step towards the ledge.

She smiled once, letting his hand go before taking everal feet back in quick succession. “Pumpkin!”

Within those seconds, the team of trained agents came out of hiding. Saskia was pulled to the side and swiftly escorted down the stairs as other agents rushed upstairs. They had to be quick, Leroy Harris was in handcuffs but he would still fight them. They couldn’t allow him to jump when he had a long life sentence to carry out.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Saskia was on the ground, her arms around Abigail as Alana tried to speak to both of them. Neither were listening, only wanting to make sure the other was alright. Abigail had already been sent to the ambulance for a quick checkup. Besides a bruise on the back of the head and a few rope burns on her wrists and ankles, she would be fine.

Countess growled deeply in anger, quickly pouncing onto the woman with whines and groans. Hades hadn’t been allowed onto the grounds until the very end, soon joining the pile of two females before dragging Abigail along too.

“Okay,” Saskia laughed, patting both dogs on the back. “Both of you, off. I wanna get this vest off.”

She shook her the jacket and the facade she had played off as Leroy passed her in his handcuffs. Shrugging off the hoodie again, she began to undo the vest.

“What?” He snapped, eyes wide with disbelief and lips curling back in anger. “You lied to me?”

Saskia rolled her eyes as she undid the vest completely and took it off. “As if I would commit suicide. You should know me better than that, Leroy. It isn’t in my nature."

He was confused. What did she mean? Why didn’t she fall with him? Didn’t she want them to be together? No. She wanted to be with  _ them _ . 

Leroy swore he would get  _ them _ back, but Saskia just shrugged his comments off and went back to talking to the small group.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

After such a long night of getting prodded at by the FBI agents about what happened up there, Abigail and Saskia were allowed to go home. Abigail had asked if Marie could stay the night and they agreed. Hannibal didn’t want to split them up after such a traumatic day. Abigail had almost dropped straight away, going to her bedroom and leaving her door ajar. 

The three of them watched Abigail and Marie asleep in the middle of the bed, both dressed in what they wore during the day. They were too tired to get changed but at least they had taken their coats and shoes off before climbing into the bed. Both of them were curled up in the middle together, an arm draping over shoulders here, legs entwined there. They looked so comfortable surrounded by the mass of dogs. 

Even Hades and Countess were in the pile, sleeping against each of their backs as the others draped themselves all over the bed and somehow still fit. 

Pip was snoring in the middle of both girls, spread out like he owned the place.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

There were still nights Saskia couldn’t sleep, and that night was one of them.

Around four am, only a couple hours after getting released by the FBI, Saskia laid in Hannibal’s bed with Hannibal to the middle, her on his right side and Will on his left. She remained still for those hours, faking sleep or something close to it while time waned on. Both men seemed to be asleep, deep asleep with even breaths and slowly raising chests. 

She took a breath, exhaling as slowly and as silently as she could before untucking the bedding and getting out. Wearing nothing but a thong, Saskia pulled on a discarded charcoal dressing gown and knotted the belt loosely. When they slept in the bed together, they usually wore the same amount of clothes, which was usually nothing or just underwear. 

Leaving them with a final glance, she was out of the room before stopping in the hall. The dogs snored loudly, almost making the sound echo in the silent house. 

It was eerily quiet.

She faintly heard the breathing of the humans in the house, almost drowned out by the dogs’ snores. It became fainter and fainter as she walked down the stairs. 

For the last several months, Saskia called this large house home. She was so used to being alone and never having to share anything, but here she wasn’t alone and she shared without complaining. 

She was the kind of person to complain when there was a chance.

Stopping in the kitchen, Saskia flicked the kettle on before she twisted the rings on her hands. She had been wearing the same two rings ever since she was in her teens. Both silver with blue gems, the thin thumb ring was from her dad and the ring that sat on her right middle finger was made of her dad’s ashes and was commissioned by her mother. It was one of the things she actually kept that her mother gave her.

Just the thought of her mother made her angry.

Saskia wanted to throw that ring down the disposal when thoughts of her mother surfaced, but she wouldn’t insult her father’s memory by doing so.

It was hard to think that Saskia still  _ loved  _ her mother, but it really wasn’t her mother who she loved but the concept of a parent that should have loved and protected her. 

Instead of being protected, she had to learn how to protect herself and that meant having to learn the fake personality she put on everyday until she left that environment. With darkness around her, that was where she grew. She took what little affection she got and took all the negative remarks, disgusting comments, and absurd behaviours thrown at her and made a little cocktail that almost  _ became  _ her.

But Saskia wasn’t a dark person. 

Light doesn’t exist without the darkness to cushion it. 

She was a happy person. She liked a good laugh, good food, good people. She liked to look outside and see the new day dawning, making her appreciate the light she had in her life before the dark of the night came and calmed her. She liked to see the good in everyone because she had seen the bad. There had to be balance.

She didn’t like being sad. Being sad was boring and she didn’t like being bored. 

At the young age of fourteen, Saskia took every little remark, every comment, every word that was thrown at her to make her feel small and unloved, and brought it to the frail beast inside of her. After that point, the beast began to devour every abusive move her mother made and turned it into boiling rage. Every snapped word her sisters said to her was thrown back at them with the bearing of teeth and the promise of something worse to come. 

It might have taken her years to realise that she couldn’t help but be the victim of the abuse. While she was the victim, it didn’t mean she had to stay like that. 

With an imagination of an artist and writer, Saskia quickly began to draw and write the fantasties she wished she could fulfil. 

The three sisters of her  _ Murder With Miscreants  _ series were based on her sisters. Three sisters, three killers, too many times she was a victim of theirs. 

Unlike her sisters who had love and affection delivered on a silver spoon, she learned to lick it off the knives that stabbed her back in betrayal. Those knives sharpened her tongue, her wit, and her claws, chipping away at the victim to show the survivor hidden. 

With the money from her grandmother and her father, she was able to start to control her own life. Even with university, she never wanted to go but her mother insisted on it. What was the point of her going to university to study Psychology and Sociology when she couldn’t be bothered to get a PhD? Of course there was the benefit of using what she learned in those classes to better write her characters and their interactions, they were otherwise useless for her as she was a writer and an author. 

She was not the abuse she was given, nor what they said to her, nor the trauma it all caused. 

Saskia Alasite was the child that grew up too soon, the one that had to think of every word, every action before she did them because she knew there would be consequences. She was the child that watched her words in fear of being called disrespectful and a disgrace, the child that kept her failures to herself because she would be compared to her  _ better  _ sisters and be shown how much love she  _ could  _ have got if she was  _ better, _ the child that had to read fairy tales to herself because her sisters needed the attention.

While she had narcissistic tendencies, those revolved around her not needing another to be seen as beautiful. It didn’t take long for her to start mirroring her mother’s behaviour back to her, showing her the monster Saskia became under her care. 

She wasn’t shown the love she needed as a child, so she sought the love she wanted in the wrong places as an adult… 

She had her back to the counter, her hands clasped around the teacup, now cold as realisation hit her and she dropped the teacup.

Trembling as she suddenly felt cold, Saskia allowed the emotions she had packed away into the tiny little boxes to emerge from the hidden rooms of her mind palace. They opened up the emotions she never wanted to feel. Vulnerable. Weak. Small. Unloved. Unwanted. A mistake, that one was her favourite since it got her beast rumbling.

Just as the teacup shattered on the ground, the four leaf clover inside the box in the private room of her mind started to wilt and rot. The ring of her mother’s representation began to tarnish and melt into a mess that was more blob than ring. Only the gem remained and was added back to her father’s ring.

When she looked down at the teacup, she noticed it hadn’t shattered as she had expected. It had broken clean into two pieces and she smiled. 

Two sides.

Victim and Survivor.

Alexandria.

Saskia. 

“Are you alright?” Will’s voice suddenly appeared from the doorway and made Saskia snap her gaze up as she got the two pieces. “I noticed you left the bed earlier. Did you make some tea?”

“Yeah. I dropped my cup, it was my favourite too,” She said, placing the pieces to the side. “Why are you up? It’s only four in the morning.”

“Saskia,” He stepped forward with concern. “It’s six in the morning. Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”

She sighed. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just been thinking alot. Coffee?”

He nodded. 

It didn’t take long for Hannibal to get downstairs. Since it was a sunday now, and Hannibal didn’t like to take clients on the weekends, they got to see him with his hair all rustled and him shirtless in only pajama trousers. It was funny compared to Will’s outfit of only underwear and a thrown on vest, and Saskia’s robe and underwear. 

Hannibal passed a hand over Will’s jaw in greeting as he gave him a peck on the cheek to which Will just smiled. It was returned before Hannibal went to Saskia, holding the back of her head and knowing the trust he had with her allowing him to do so. He left a kiss on her forehead, lingering for a moment before frowning as he smelt salt water that was associated with tears. He lifted her chin, now making her look him in the eyes as he saw the slight redness around them.

“You’ve been crying.” It wasn’t a question. 

His hand stayed on the base of her neck, knowing it would be a welcomed comfort he found out she had.

She hated it when someone she didn’t trust touched her neck, back or shoulder blades, but his hand was very much welcomed as his thumb grazed the side of her throat and upto her ear. She leaned into it, shifting her gaze away before returning it back to his and Will’s curious eyes. 

“I was thinking about my past,” She started, a hand running through the hair on her scalp as it was a nervous tic of hers. “About my mum, my sisters, Leroy, Samson. About the abuse and the love. And I realised something…” 

With her trailing off, Hannibal prompted, “What did you realise?”

“The type of love I was given as a child was the type of love I was willing to give as an adult.” He dropped his hand slowly as she shook her head. “Just as my mother molded my sisters into copies of her, I molded Leroy into mine. Just as I was ridiculed and made to feel little, I let Samson do that to me because it was all I knew. I could have left him at any moment but I finally found someone who wanted me.”

She rubbed her hands together as she felt the cold tea on them, now having a new cup of coffee within reach. Clutching the cup near her chest as she softly drank from it, she hoped she didn’t drop that cup too. Something inside her said that this new cup wouldn’t shatter, wouldn’t crack or break. It would stay in one piece as it would thud against the ground, staying complete and whole.

Like her.

“After years of mental and emotional abuse, you sought out love in the forms you knew it in,” Hannibal said, his voice soft as a feather as he knew Saskia still had stuff to work through before she could let her past get behind her where it should be. “You took what you could get and made the best of it. You did the best job you could have.”

“The best job?” Saskia laughed mirthlessly, her own voice quiet as she knew the girls were still asleep. She bit the inside of her lip, needing the tiny bit of pain. “I mirrored my mother’s actions in manipulating and abusing someone. I’m not gonna blame myself for making Leroy but it is my fault he spiraled because he should have been dead years ago. I couldn’t bring myself to kill him, my creation, my perfection in human form. I love him just as I love my mother. I  _ only  _ love the idea of them, not actually them.”

“While you hate your family, you cannot help but love them in the same way.” Will said. “They created you, shaped you into what you are now.”

“Shaped me?” Saskia spat and left her cup on the side. “I took what they gave me and I took my broken spirit and mind and made it into something they couldn’t ignore. I didn’t make myself into a monster to scare them, I made myself so I could protect myself. I fed the beast the darkness they showed me and yet the beast found a way to find light. 

“I could have let them abuse and use me. Let them break what I had to satisfy their needs for a scapegoat in the family. I could have let them win, morph and shape me into what they wanted to create, and I would have died. If I didn’t realise that the darkness had comforts too, I would have killed myself.” 

“You could have but you didn’t.” Will said. “You grew and flourished in an environment that was supposed to stop you.

“I could have but I didn’t, I didn’t let them have that satisfaction,” She grasped the two pieces of the broken teacup, looking at the perfectly identical pieces before seeing the cracks on one side. “I let them continue doing that to me because I knew I could handle it. The beast was hungry for the anger, rage, pain my family inflicted, and it grew with me. I survived them, my mother didn’t. Did I ever tell you why I changed my name?”

Hannibal shook his head while Will just slightly nodded.

“Because Alexandria and Saskia are two different people. One a victim, the other a survivor,” The cracked piece of the teacup hit the bottom of the bin with a smash, breaking further. “Alexandria was the lamb ready for slaughter and Saskia was,  _ is  _ the lion ready for a feast.” 

The other piece dropped into the bin with a solid thud.

She turned around, a sudden smile on her lips now as she shook off the sadness she held and let relief fill her. She knew why she did the things she did, and she grew. 

“What do you want for breakfast?” She asked.

She slept better that night.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Hannibal’s alarm was the one that went off at five thirty on a Monday. 

She slept between them that night, and now had her head buried into Will’s neck as she grumbled at the sound of the alarm at this ungodly hour. Will laid on his back, an arm behind his head as he laughed at her antics and traced her spine with his fingers. He had watched Hannibal leave the room with a nod in greeting...

Hannibal had left them there, knowing they would get up when it was time. He finished his small breakfast and brought up a tray, placing it onto Will’s side of the bed. Two burning coffees, done to each one’s preferences, and a scone sat there on the small plates and saucers. He began his routine in the bathroom. 

Will nudged her gently, getting her to lean forward as he handed her a cup. She smiled sleepily and sipped at it, letting the warm liquid consume her. She sat up as Will still laid down, now both of them checked their email on their phones and didn’t see anything too important for that day so far. Will nibbled on the scone, finishing it easily.

Her smartwatch went off on her wrist, vibrating and making noise as time waned off. She turned the alarm off with a frown and a yawn. 

“Guess we have to get up too then.” Saskia got out of the bed, stretching her arms upwards as her muscles ached. 

While Will started his own routine in the bathroom, Saskia went back to her room to find all of the dogs sleeping on the bed. She shook her head and went to her own bathroom before grabbing an underwear and bra set. 

She put on enough makeup to accent her features, not hide them. That was the point of makeup, to enhance what you had and hide what you didn’t like as much. Saskia loved everything she had, even if she didn’t favour the bridge of her nose but she got that from her father. Not deciding on her lipstick until she decided on her outfit, Saskia walked back into Hannibal’s room to find both men getting dressed. 

“Should I go for the dark red or purple?” She asked, holding out two different coloured dresses, both really close to being black but not quite dark enough. When she noticed that they both stopped and stared, she realised what she was wearing at the moment. 

She only wore a strapless black bra with matching thong and stockings accenting her legs, being held up by a garterbelt. There was even a really faint lace design on the stockings. Her hair was pulled back for now, and her lips were bare of colour.

“Guys,” She said, snapping her fingers and trying to get them out of their strange but expected trances. “Red or purple? I was thinking red because I have a lipstick that would go with it.”

Hannibal nodded, his eyes trailing her form with his tongue flicking out to lick at his bottom lip as he said, “Depending on what shoes you are going to wear.”

“My black Louboutin ankle boot heels,” 

“Red would better accent the shoes,” Will agreed absently.

“Thanks!” She walked out of the room with a bigger sway to her hips because she knew exactly what she was doing to them.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

They could hear her before they saw her.

Hair slicked up into a high ponytail, it brought the attention to her eyes and the red lip. The dress was such a dark red that it seemed black under anything that wasn’t direct light. Molded to her curves and strapless, it went down to her knees but the stretchy material allowed her to move freely. Her feet were encased in the black ankle heels with the red bottoms. Nails already done from a couple weeks prior, she didn’t need to worry about them for another week or so. 

She held her black clutch in hand, texting on her phone before putting both on the clean metal counters as she turned to both of them.

“Can one of you help me put on my necklace?” She asked sincerely. “I can’t with my claws.” She was referring to her long nails.

Will took the silver necklace out of her hands, gesturing for her to turn around as he clipped it on. “You removed a ring.”

“Yeah,” She shrugged and touched the dainty silver necklace with a tiny blue gem. “I don’t want anything of my mother’s. I took the gem out and had the necklace made yesterday.”

“That was fast,”

“Margot knows people. Speaking of Margot, a member of her extended family has been trying to haggle her about her child and the money she got.” Saskia said. “I’ve got to explain to another member of her family that they don’t have any right to her money nor do their children, nor do they have a right to see the child she is having.”

“Are you bringing your gun?”

Saskia tilted her head in question. “Should I? I mean, Leroy is in custody now.”

“Neither of us leave without something,” Hannibal said, pausing before nodding once. “Follow me, please.”

Both men had dressed smartly. It seemed Will’s style had changed over the last few months, becoming more polished and clean as he spent time with them. He was never pressured into changing but sometimes change was good, he felt more confident and assured of himself when he dressed nice. 

As always, Hannibal wore his suit with a tie and matching pocket square. Will had on a burgundy shirt tucked into black slacks and polished shoes. There were days where he dressed down, just as Hannibal and Saskia had those days too. Not everyday warranted a polished look. He wore jeans when he wanted to be casual or when he had a scene to look at that would not be kind to his clothes. 

Hannibal walked into his home office, going to one of the locked cupboards and sliding open a drawer. He placed the box onto the table and gestured for Saskia to take it.

Within the box was a beautiful butterfly knife with a completely black finish. It was five inches long when closed but ten inches long when the blade was out.

Hannibal took it, flicking his wrist as he opened it and showed her the same black finish on the blade itself.

“There is a disputed history of the balisong knife, or the butterfly knife as it is more commonly known. Some believe it had origins in eight hundred AD, others may say they were only manufactured in the nineteen hundred. Nonetheless, I felt this blade suited you best.” Hannibal said, another hand going to his pocket as he took out his own knife. “Will has a modified version of an army swift blade, making it efficient for many things while I have a harpy that does my job perfectly.”

Will held out his knife, showing her the black handle and she noticed the design. 

“These animals, what do they mean?” Saskia asked, her butterfly blade closed as she looked at the design on both sides of the handle. Two tiny lions stood on their back legs with their forelegs pressed together. 

Hannibal smiled sadly but there was a sign of adoration in his eyes. “The design put together is my family’s crest. You have the two lions that would hold it together, Will has the two raven that sit atop and look outwards, and mine has the snake that would attack the enemies when they came too close.”

“That’s clever,” She smiled in thanks. “My family didn’t have a crest. If we did, any mention of it was destroyed by the Nazis during the second world war.”

“Saskia,” Hannibal said seriously, his eyes narrowed to show how much he meant his next words. “I made Will promise me this and I want you to do the same; I want you to keep this on you at all times. Even if you bring your gun with you, I do not want you to even think of leaving the house without the knife.”

“That’s another accessory I’m going to be wearing from now on,” She nodded, tucking the closed blade into the left side of her dress, right between her arm and her left breast. It was close to heart then. “I’ll ask Rene to add in a pocket to my clothes next time I get them done.”

“I want you to promise me you’ll always have it on you,”

“My word means more than any promise I could ever make. While I break promises, I keep my word forever.” She paused. “You have my word, Hannibal.”

His hug was warm as he tucked Saskia into his side. When he gestured for Will to come and join them, he realised that the three of them fit perfectly together. He liked the feeling of them there, their own arms coming around him and each other. He liked the swirling scents of home, of safety, of desire, of the perfection that they made within his presence. 

He made the right choice in bringing Saskia into their fold. She fitted like the gap was carved for her, sanded and molded so she fit snugly without ever being uncomfortable. Hannibal had thought that Abigail was the one to fit into the mold, to create a little family. He didn’t need a family when he had these two. 

A knock at the front door interrupted them. 

“That will be the car Margot sent, I’m not driving in this outfit,” Saskia stated, looking at both of them with bright eyes. 

“We best get ready to leave too,” Will said, handing her the clutch she forgot in the kitchen. 

All three of them walked to the foyer where Countess already sat with her leash in her mouth. Will took the clutch again and watched Hannibal helping her into the pure black woolen coat. It dropped to just above her knees and showed off her figure as well. 

They both received a quick peck on the corner of the lips before she was grabbing her clutch and strutting to the hired car, the canine companion chasing after her mistress. The man who was driving the car had gotten out to help her into it, closing the door after her before tipping his hat to the two men at the door of the house. He got back into the car and they were off.

“What lectures do you have planned?” Hannibal asked Will as soon as they were back into the house.

“A lecture or two on Leroy Harris,” Will almost rolled his eyes at Hannibal’s unhappy little snarl of the lips. “I’m not happy about it. But I am happy about him being gone. Are you sure it was wise to give her the knife so soon?”

“Soon? She’s proven herself so far and I doubt she will show us any reason to question her,” Hannibal said. “She’s already begun to make plans in case anything goes south, including if any or all of us were incarcerated.”

“Has she told you about them?”

“No,”

“How have you found out?”

“She’s never without a plan in place. And now she’s added us into the plans.”

They both knew Saskia was a selfish person, only making plans and stuff up that would benefit herself alone. Since she had started to add them into everything, they knew this was becoming serious and permanent.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

“I swear some people are just burst lightbulbs waiting to happen,” Alana complained, sitting next to Margot on the huge couch in the Verger manor. They had finished having an argument with the relative and now just sat in the mansion.

“Some people just make a day brighter when they leave,” Margot said, leaning into Alana’s side.

Margot and Alana sat on one long couch, Saskia taking the loveseat near it with Countess curling around the edge of it. For a reason Saskia wasn’t going to question just yet, there were two glasses on the glass table in front of them along with a bottle of very old and expensive wine.

“That woman, what did she call herself? Oh, my cousin’s aunt’s daughter, I think. Well, she has been hounding me for days about the little one,” Margot said, a hand on the bottom of her expanding stomach. “Alana has had to stop me from sending profanities towards her.”

“Someone has to keep you safe and others sane while you grow him,” Alana smiled.

“So,” Saskia said and clicked her tongue playfully, her eyes going between them. “How long has this been going on? How serious is it?”

“Not for very long, a couple of months I think,” Alana’s hand went to Margot’s, holding it with a softness she hadn’t had before. “I’m hoping this is a permanent thing.”

Margot took her hand, placing it on top of her belly with her hands clasping Alana’s. There was a hopefulness in her eyes, something soft and vulnerable, something beautiful blooming. “So do I. We’ve, well I’ve been meaning to talk to you, Saskia.”

She sat up in the loveseat, eyebrow raising a little as a small look of playful wariness played at her features. “Well, that doesn’t sound good, now does it?”

“It’s nothing bad,” Margot laughed, making Alana smile in adoration at her. “I think it’s a good thing but I don’t know if you would.”

“Stop stalling and tell her already, Margot,” Alana tutted, squeezing her hand firmly. “Saskia isn’t for hesitations and secrets, not when the secret has to do with her.”

“Fine,” Margot turned to Saskia, moving both her hands until they laid on her stomach before asking, “Will you be Morgan’s GodMother?”

“You’ve chosen a name?” 

“We need an answer, Saskia.”

“Of course, I’ll be the GodMother. Someone has to spoil the kid rotten,” She glanced to the wine. “Is that what the glasses are for?”

“Yes. Unlike you two, I still can’t drink and probably won’t until after I stopped breastfeeding,” Margot said as Alana leaned forward and began to pour the wine. She handed one to Saskia while Alana kept one to herself. “What about you and your relationships recently? Hannibal  _ and  _ Will?”

Saskia froze, a grin tugging at her lips. “How did you figure that out?”

“Saskia, have you seen the way they look at you?” Alana shook her head at Saskia, turning to Margot. “And I thought we were mushy.”

“Dear, you should have seen the way they looked at her when Mason asked her to dance at the Christmas charity event we had to go to. They looked murderous and kept an eye on them until she got back.” Margot said. 

They turned back to Saskia, who was now reaching for the bottle again. 

“If I’m having this conversation with you two,” Saskai poured more wine into her glass, sipping again at it. “I’m going to need more wine.”

“You are one lucky woman, Saskia. How did you get both of them? Do they know?”

Saskia laughed. “They know. They were in a relationship before I came along.”

“Double the fun,” Margot snickered. 

“And about two dozen dirty paws along with that.”

Countess didn’t even bother to lift her head, making a rumbling noise before yawning again and going back to sleep.

“Countess approves the message.”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

While she could carry a tune with her voice and sing quite pleasantly, Saskia was not a woman of music.

She couldn’t play any sort of instrument to any sort of decent degree, unless you counted drums but Hannibal didn’t have a particular interest in teaching her that. The only reason Saskia was actually good at drums was because her step father had a set of drums when she was in her teens. She was useless at the piano and the harpsichord, along with the guitar and any other instrument that needed strings or the like. 

Teaching Saskia how to play the harpsichord was a dreadful and utterly painful thing to watch, and definitely a hilarious sight for Will as Hannibal kept scowling and trying to cover his cringes each time she hit the wrong key. And every time she hit the wrong key, Countess would let out a pained howl. 

It took only another hour of this hilariously painful sight before Hannibal stated that they all should start on the paperwork Jack had sent them. 

As the days waned on and quickly got closer to Leroy Harris’ trial date, they quickly noticed how Will’s sleep schedules had changed. 

Pages and files littered the dining room table, completely taking up every tiny inch of space. Tie off, Will stood over the files in slacks and a blue plaid shirt, a glass in one hand and his chin held in the other. Rubbing a hand down his face, he scratched at the neat and trimmed beard. Why did there have to be so many files? Why did there have to be so many pages within those files? 

Jack had sent them over to Will’s classroom one day with a note that said they had to be finished and filed by the end of the week.

Will had a lot to do and he didn’t have enough time to sleep. If he was lucky he would get to bed before two in the morning and wake up at six thirty at the latest. More often than not, he slept in the guest room on those nights because he didn’t want to wake them up, only to find both Saskia and Hannibal in the bed with him by morning. It was unbelievable how many times he fell asleep on the couch downstairs, only to be relocated upstairs by morning. 

“You look ready to rip it all apart,” Saskia said, sitting at one of the chairs with her feet on another and a blanket on her lap. She looked up from the book of mythology on her lap, still flipping through the pages that linked to animals and shapeshifting. 

“I am close,” He agreed before gesturing with his hand. “I don’t understand why Jack didn’t just do it himself.”

“Bella’s dying,” She said, turning the page. “She has been for a while. Alana said something about lung cancer. She’s started Chemo treatment but she’s growing tired of it.”

“Yeah?” Will sipped at his wine glass. “Sometimes death is unforseen or unwelcome.”

She hummed, not even looking up when Hannibal walked in with a glass of Red Stag and coke for her. “Thank you. When Death comes, I’m giving them a nasty right hook.”

Hannibal chuckled, standing behind Will before getting the slightly shorter male to loosen his stance and slip his arms around Will’s waist and torso. His chin was placed on Will’s shoulder, leaning his head forward a little as Will brought up his glass to Hannibal’s lips.

“So, Saskia,” Hannibal said, hearing her hum in acknowledgement, “How has the planning been coming along?”

She quirked a smile, her eyes still on the book as she changed the page.“Why do you think I’m planning something?”

“You’re never without one,”

“True,” She snapped the book close, looking up. “I’ve been making preparations for the last week, finetuning things.”

“Preparations for what?” Will asked, turning his head a little so he could see Hannibal and Saskia. “Harris is in federal custody and is in solitary confinement until the trial next week. He isn’t going anywhere.”

Saskia bit the inside of her cheek, tasting blood as she kept biting. She stopped before speaking, “He’ll have something planned.” 

Hannibal’s eyebrows bunched together before falling back naturally. “You’re thinking he has something planned.”

“Of course he does,” Saskia placed the closed book on the table, looking at both of them in the eyes, unblinking as she stated, “I made him.”

“You _made_ him?” Will tilted his head. “What do you mean by that?”

“If you were to ask me what I was, I’d say an adaptor and a manipulator.” She clasped her hands together to rest them on her stomach. “I was young and foolish, but I had the world at my fingertips. I saw potential and I took it by force. I created a monster because I wanted to _be wanted._ I made a person that could challenge me, be with me, _love me for me_. As I always do, I got bored.”

“What does this have to do with Harris?” Will turned 

“Are you saying that you are responsible for his insanity?” Will scoffed as he finished the rest of his wine, resulting in Hannibal smiling at the man’s frustrations at Saskia’s admittance of truth.

“I was his downfall and if I’m not careful, he will be mine. That scares me and I like being scared,” Saskia fiddled with her thumb ring, twisting it lightly instead of letting fear and frustration well up. “I hate the taste of my own fear.”

“Fear reminds us that we are alive and still fighting, without it, we do not have much that would keep us going in the face of danger,” Hannibal moved until he had an arm around Will’s waist but could still reach Saskia a metre away, his hand placed on her shoulder where the tips of his fingers could trace the side of her throat. “Fear and curiosity are two very strong factors in our survival and evolution as human beings. Though some may say that love and hate are our strongest emotions.”

“Love and hate,” She rolled her eyes but still leaned into his hand. “Too… mundane for my tastes. Nothing is as simple as that. Kill or be killed, I understand. To hate something, you need to have a certain amount of hurt to get to that stage. To love something, you need to have comfort from it.”

Hannibal hummed but didn’t speak.

“You received comfort from him, from Leroy Harris,” Will exhaled slowly. “You got what you wanted from him but it wasn’t enough, was it?”

“No, it was never enough,” She ran her hand through her hair, pulling it back and out of the way of her face as she looked at the files on the table. “I need people who accept me for me, that is what I saw in Leroy and that is what I encouraged him to become. He accepted me because I forced him to. I broke him into pieces and rearranged him to fit my needs. But it was wrong. 

“He was wrong.” There was a sudden tightness in Hannibal’s features as he spoke, the grip on her shoulder and neck becoming firm and possessive with a distinct air of comfort and warmth. “He didn’t love you, he loved the thought of you, Saskia, and that wasn’t what you wanted.”

She nodded wordlessly as she took a solid gulp of her drink, loving the slight cherry tang of the alcohol. She placed the glass down, the sudden clink as it touched the table sent a ray of chills down her spine but she shook the anxiety off and turned to both of them. 

For a second, the only sound in the room, in the entire house, was the sound of a slow tap against the glass.

It echoed and vibrated through them and through the wall, leaving traces and remients of her presence in the form of a memory. 

There weren’t many memories that she kept locked up in the tiny box in the back of her mind palace.

If she opened the engraved box, a small portrait of Countess’ namesake would be glued to the lid. She would trace the picture with her hand and plop a Dutch mint into her mouth before looking to the rest of the tiny keepsakes. The silver ring with sapphires would glitter on her thumb while the golden earrings would stay on her earlobes and the tiny blue gem on her delicate necklace. 

The removed ring on her right middle finger was a heavy weight upon her mind, but a welcomed one because it wasn’t missing. She didn’t miss the ring, the reminder her mother tried to constantly give her. That ring was a constant reminder of her father’s death and her mother’s presence. She always said that Alexandria should be grateful for her making the ring, for getting it done for no expense on her daughter’s part.

The only way Saskia would part with this tiny Memorial Diamond made from her father’s ashes was if she got to burn it until she couldn’t see the reflection of her mother in it… Or change the colour. That might work. Change the blue that her mother loved into a different colour that Saskia loved.

Maybe maroon red?

There was no place for her mother and sisters in the special place of her mind palace, only those she cared for stayed there. Their memories had been broken down and taken out of that room, put into a dusty area of one of the bookshelves in the very unvisited areas of her mind right between the memory of being beaten up at a young age and the failure of one of her major secondary school exams that prompted her into Psychology and Sociology.

That was peculiar.

The hair clip from the Christmas charity even deemed to tarnish and rust, pieces of the silver going brown and disgusting as flaks of the metal began to fall off. Revealing a sparkling silver white metal, the red gems seemed to glow even brighter and shimmered even deeper.

There was no longer a bronze fox figurine. 

What replaced it was beautiful. The burnt orange colour of the amber figurine shone and reflected light with such intensity. It made the room fill with scattered waves of amber glow. It even had the brightest red eyes she had ever seen, its lips curled up as the nine nails around each other to make a criss crossing pattern that laced together behind it.

There weren’t a lot of things in the room, let alone in this box that she held under lock and key and protection of the beast. 

But each had their place in her world.

Saskia tilted her head one way and the other, placing a hand on top of Hannibal’s. “I’ve made preparations for if I, or we, were ever discovered. A house here, villa there, a few mansions and manors in beautiful sceneries. The first place I would ever go to from here would be the house in Lithuania. I’d grab some things from there, maybe even stay for a while before moving on.”

“You’ve made plans,”

“I made a few, depending on the circumstances. My teachers used to say that if we fail to prepare, we prepare to fail,” Saskia grinned. “I think this will be the first time I listen to them.”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The trial date came too quickly for their tastes.

“I call Miss Saskia Alasite to the stand.”

With the confidence that would have made the deities quake, Saskia gave each of her men’s hands a squeeze and stood from her seat. She smoothed the black, form fitting skirt down, getting to the stand before tugging down the cuffs of her blush pink blouse, having ridden up when she checked her watch earlier. 

“Do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

God had nothing to do with this trial. 

This trial was of man and monster, confined to the laws humans made to contain the human race’s inclination to the so called _dark_ and _evil_ acts. There was no need for God because he would bestow upon forgiveness if Leroy Harris repented his sins and admitted to them, but for him to repent for them, he had to mean it. 

The only way he could repent his sins to _his_ creator was lay six feet down in a casket in his cold, dead shell of a body for the next eternity and even then she would want him to be further punished for his transgressions against her.

“I do,” Saskia said without hesitation, dropping her hand from the book.

“Please sit down,” The judge nodded, an elderly man with a stern face and mean posture. 

“When did you first meet Mr Leroy Harris?” The prosecutor said. 

“I was barely twenty two and was finishing up my last year at university,”

“Did you meet him in class?”

“No, I met him through a mutual friend of ours, Liam Osborn. He’s dead now.”

“Alright. Your books, the trilogy, what inspired them?”

Saskia tilted her head. “I had a rough childhood and I guess writing allowed me to get my emotions out in a healthy way. I had a thirst for mystery and a dash of murder that included women as the killers. I got sick of reading of male serial killers, and only women when they were scorned by men.”

“Did you ever expect your books to become reality?”

“No. They were fiction and they should have stayed like that,”

“Miss Alasite, you were a consultant for the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, under Special Agent Jack Crawfords’ request, is that right? When and how did this arrangement start?”

“Three years this march. My ex boyfriend, Samson Tyler was killed and strung up on my mantelpiece at my house,” Saskia said calmly. “I called it in and the FBI came. I met Jack Crawford then. One of the scene investigators tried to go to a closed cabinet that contained the unpublished manuscripts of the second and third book of the _Murder with Miscreants Trilogy._ They asked why they couldn’t look and I explained to them I was Syn. Within about a month, I had Mr Crawford at my door to ask for my help because the bodies of several people started to look like the victims of my first book.”

“In total, there have been twenty one victims.”

“Is there a question in that?”

“Abigail Hobbs was kidnapped three weeks again, why did you think she was going to be the next victim when all twenty one of them have been found?”

“I wrote that the last victim would be taken on the twenty first of the month, and she was taken the night before. Abigail Hobbs has had a troubled past, and we were concerned about her to begin with.”

“We? Can you elaborate on that?”

“Through Jack Crawford, I met Agent Will Graham, Doctor Hannibal Lecter, and Doctor Alana Bloom, all of whom had an experience with Abigail before myself. I knew about her circumstance and helped her write her book, because of that, I got to know Abigail and now I deeply care for her,” Saskia allowed a low amount of sadness to enter her voice. “With Leroy Harris killing people and even going to the lengths of stabbing me, we didn’t want to think of what he could do to someone like Abigail.”

“How did you find out that Abigail Hobbs was missing?”

“Marie called me an hour after she realised Abigail was gone,” 

“And what did you do?”

“I told Hannibal,”

“Doctor Hannibal Lecter?”

“Yes. He called Jack and Will Graham while I called Alana. I left for the university while he went…”

The questions for the prosecution went on for another ten or so minutes. Saskia never fidgeted, slouched or even tapped her finger. She concentrated on the questions at hand and answered them to the detail that was needed.

Then the defense began. 

“You are Saskia Alasite, and you are thirty three years old and born on the fourteenth of November”

“Yes,” She crossed her legs at the knee, placing her clasped hands on the knee as she sat up straight and alert. 

“There are no records of a Saskia Alasite in Lithuania,”

“I was born Alexandria Alasite, and changed my name before moving to the United States,”

“Is there a reason you changed your name?”

Saskia turned to the judge, “Your Honour, do I have to answer these questions because I do not see how they pertain to this trial?”

“Humour him, please,”

“Of course,” Saskia looked back at the defense lawyer for Leroy Harris, knowing that the man had been a new friend of his. “I had bad memories with that first name.”

“Why didn’t you change your last name along with it?”

“It was my father’s last name,”

He paused. “What are these bad memories?”

“You wish for me to recall bad memories even though I have stated that they were bad?” Saskia narrowed her eyes to the smallest fraction. “Fine. I was abused by my mother, and by my sisters to a certain degree. From the age of about six onwards, I became the middle child and the attention was bestowed upon my younger sisters.”

“What about your father?”

“He wasn’t in the picture much. He’s an army man, and he was until his death fourteen years ago. None of us share a father besides the two youngest, so I got support from him but he was in a different country all my life.”

“You changed your name before or after you dated Leroy Harris?”

“After he decided to try and kill me, I changed my name permanently before I went travelling around the world.”

“You say he tried to kill you, there are no records of this.”

“In the UK, there are. I even had a restraining order placed against him.” Saskia lifted a hand to the hairline at the back of her neck. “I have a scar from him.”

The man hummed. “Last year you were admitted to the hospital because of a stab wound. You say you were stabbed by my client but he states he did it in self defense because your dog bit him. Is this true? Remember you have sworn an oath of truth.”

“I was running with Countess, my dog. We stopped in an area of the forest because we wanted to catch our breath and that's when I met Leroy. We talked and eventually got to the conversation of him going to prison for his actions. He panicked and stabbed me, making Countess attack him because while she is trained to be an Emotional Support animal, she is also a guard dog.”

“How do we know you did not stab yourself in the shoulder? Reports state that you were calm and were able to walk onto the ambulance. Even your doctor was surprised by the amount of collectiveness you held while he was examining you.”

Saskia took a breath in, undoing the top button of her blouse before tugging the material and putting the thick scar on show. “Do you really think I would give myself something like this? I would not be able to stab myself with the force it took to create this little piece, nor could I get the correct angle. I had Leroy Harris’ DNA under my nails where I scratched him in the face. The blade had his fingerprints on it.

“I’m not one for self mutilation to the point of scarring. There is enough evidence that states that Leroy Harris is the Miscreant Killer, including DNA, handwriting analysis, fingerprints, and footage of Abigail Hobbs’ kidnapping. There is even footage of him leaving a body in my house. Why are you asking me such questions that would make you think I was an accomplice of his?”

“You don’t have a good relationship with your mother.”

He was deflecting her question. She pursued her lips before biting her cheek because she was ready to argue with him but knew it wasn't her place, at least not today. 

"Well I can’t, can I? He killed her, on my birthday no less.”

“And your alibi for the night?”

She listed them off with her fingers. “Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham, Alana Bloom, Abigail Hobbs, Jack Crawford and Bella Crawford. We all had dinner at Hannibal’s because it was my birthday. Let me ask you this, is there any evidence, solid evidence that links me to any of the murders or to being an accomplice of his? You’ve begun to ask questions that could lead to answers that might incorrectly incriminate myself if not given the right context.”

“The recording the FBI got from the night of Abigail Hobbs’ kidnapping.” He stared at her unblinkingly. “You were able to get Leroy Harris out and onto the roof, with enough time to get the reinforcements to come in. Why would you keep him talking when you could have gotten him arrested quite easily?”

Saskia ran her tongue against her teeth, sitting up even straighter. “I wanted full proof evidence that would make sure he stays behind bars. He has terrorised me for the last three years. The reputation of my books have been tarnished because he decided to take my life’s work and make a mockery of it.”

“You used to date him.”

“Yeah, _used_ to,” Saskia felt the anger bubble but it stayed at a low temperature for now. “We hit off in university and we loved each other. The past tense. When I tried to leave him, he kidnapped me for a week and tried to let me drown, because of that, I have a phobia of drowning that I had to get over. I was stabbed by a relative of one of the people he killed, and I lost my ability to have children. And then he kills that woman as the twenty first victim while I was in hospital, the days after I had the surgery. He left a gift.”

“What was the gift?”

“In Jack the Ripper style, he cut out the womb and wrapped it all up nicely and sent it to me while I was recovering,” Saskia turned her head to the judge. “I feel like I’ve answered enough questions pertaining to this trial, may I have a few minutes?”

“Ah, of course. You have been answering for quite some time.” He then looked out to the court. “Everyone, we will take a ten minute recess.”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

Hannibal took the cigarette out of her mouth before she could even light it.

She sighed as his other hand touched her lower back in support, her face tucked into the crook of his neck and shoulder. “Thanks.”

“You only smoke when you are stressed enough to dismiss the consequences, and you never dismiss them,” Hannibal said, softly placing a kiss at the crown of her head. “You know it is a disgusting habit, and you have made us promise to never let you start it.”

“I did, didn’t I?” She just wanted to nuzzle into his neck while he hugged her and have Will on his other side where she could touch both of them and just _not have to think_. “I’m just really frustrated and tired.”

Will shifted his feet so he could stand closer, clear eyes peering over the glasses all three of them knew he didn’t need. “You were on the stand for more than an hour.”

“And the defense’s questions? They didn’t seem like the properly questions that should have been asked at a criminal trial, perhaps at a martial one but not a criminal one,”

“They didn’t seem like the usual questions that are asked. They were misleading in some ways, definitely. You were right to ask what you did.” Will glanced at his watch. “We’d better get back.”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The relief she felt when she heard the verdict was unreal.

He would never walk the streets again. He would never be there to terrorise her again. She didn’t ever need to see his face again. She could finally get rid of him.

The trial ended with Leroy Harris being declared guilty but mentally ill, resulting in him being detained to the Baltimore State Hospital For The Criminally Insane. Even before then, that was where he was put to be kept under watch before his trial. And now the place became his home for the foreseeable future.

Saskia was concerned when he didn’t try to incriminate her with Samson’s death. She was surprised he didn’t try but she knew he had something planned. For the time being, they were fine. 

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

That evening, instead of having a celebratory dinner that was Hannibal’s fashion, the trio were to go out to a bar and restaurant to meet up with Alana and Margot to celebrate. The trio at the BAU labs were also invited, Saskia hadn’t spoken to them in a while so she was happy they were coming too. 

Saskia had her music on in her bedroom, prancing around the room in a bralette and a thong as she tried to get an outfit ready. 

“Are you going out to drink with Harumi?” Will asked, standing at the doorway as he just watched Saskia walking around in her room. Saskia held up two tops, comparing them as she felt Will’s arm lace from behind her to rest them on her hips as she swayed to the music. 

“Black or purple?”

He took the royal purple top with the high neck and no sleeves, and placed it so it sat on her front. “This one looks nice on you.”

“They all look nice on me,” She pouted.

He laughed. “Very true.”

Will shook his head when she smiled at that, turning her head so she could peck him on the cheek before snatching the top back. She shrugged it on before turning to look at him, biting the side of her lip a little. 

“Dear fucking gods…” Saskia’s jaw almost dropped at the sight of the two men.

Will’s navy blue shirt was fitted to perfection and hugged his muscles enough to make Saskia stop thinking for a moment. It was even worse when she saw Hannibal in his burgundy red shirt, the top two buttons undone with a black waistcoat. She had never seen trousers that tight on either of them before.

“I think it worked,” Will grinned as they looked at the expression on her face.

She could play at that game.

Saskia walked out of the bathroom a minute later, wearing the tightest pair of black leather trousers she owned. She knew the things these trousers did to her ass, and she wanted to see how they liked being beaten at their own game. She finished the look with a pair of heels.

“I felt underdressed.” She bit her tongue when she saw the little shuddering breaths they took in. She walked past them, patting Will on the chest as she leaned forward. “Don’t try and outsmart the master when it comes to looking this good.”

“Witch,” Hannibal muttered. 

Will clicked his tongue in agreement.

She called over her shoulder. “I prefer Vixen.”

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

The night started as soon as they got to the Lily Flower, a semi known bar. 

Alana and Margot were already there and sat in a huge booth, both having drinks but only one being alcoholic. 

Unsurprisingly to anyone at the booth so far, Saskia sat her bag down and went straight to the bar. 

“A glass of the best scotch you have, one beer, and a Red Stag and coke,” She rattled the orders off, already knowing what her men liked. 

Her men.

She liked the sound of that.

Saskia brought the drinks back to the booth, watching as Hannibal got up and allowed her to sit between him and Will in the U shaped booth. Alana sat on one end with Margot on the inside, Will to Margot’s other side. There was still enough room for three more people to join them.

Saskia had already finished her drink and sneakily started to take sips of Will’s beer and Hannibal’s scotch. Both of them knew she was doing it, and she knew that they knew. It was useless to get in the way of Saskia and her alcohol, just as it was the same with caffeine. If she got drunk, they had nothing to worry about. 

She was not a stupid drunk, though her tongue couldn’t stay still. Regardless of her state of mind, Saskia was responsible enough to know a few things; never admit anything she wouldn’t while sober, never have sex with someone while drunk, no drugs, and don’t walk into the road.

“Harumi!” Saskia said, getting out of the booth with Hannibal’s help before encasing the woman in a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“My brother’s dating Beverly,” She said, rolling her eyes as another man came closer. 

Saskia released Harumi and put the new man into a tight hug. “Hyeon, hurt Beverly, and I hurt you.”

“Good to see you too, Saki.”

“Drinks?” 

“Captain Morgan for me and Bev,” Harumi smiled. “She’s in the bathroom right now.”

“Hyeon, you?” 

“Gin and tonic. Don’t give me that look. It means you won’t steal my drink too.”

“Fine,” Saskia smiled before going to the booth as Harumi and Hyeon sat down and introduced themselves. “Any more drink requests?”

“Since someone has stolen most of mine,” Will said, tilting his beer before looking up at her accusingly. “I’ll have the same scotch that Hannibal had. Alana, more beer?”

Alana hummed. “I’ll have a simple martini.”

“Another orange, please.” Margot said. “It helps settle Morgan. He’s been restless all week.”

“Two Captain Morgans and coke, Gin and tonic, scotch, martini, orange…” She listed them off as Hannibal stood up.

“I’ll help you carry the drinks back,” The fond smile he held was always beautiful to her, and she liked the way he put his hand on the small of her back as they walked through the small crowd of people. They stopped at the bar, somehow everyone seemed to split as both of them walked over. “What are you having?”

“No, I’ll have water,” Hannibal shook his head, tracing his thumb against her back as she looked at him. “Someone has to drive us back. How drunk do you plan to get?”

“You’ve never seen me properly drunk, have you?”

“I believe I’ve seen you very tipsy, but never black out drunk,”

“Here’s a warning then, I will get onto that dance floor with either Harumi or Beverly, or maybe Hyeon, or maybe even a stranger, and I will… start to dance like I don’t have social constrictions.” Saskia said with a giant sheepishly smile, her hand placed on Hannibal’s chest as she felt his calm heartbeat. “It will get a little dirty and a little _too_ sexy, but it means nothing because they’re not the ones I’m going home with. Are you comfortable with me dancing like that with strangers? I know some people aren’t comfortable with their partners being as promiscuous as I can be.”

Her smile had tapered off by the end, slight concern lacing her features.

“You can be as promiscuous as you want,” Hannibal’s hand went from her back to her hip as the bartender brought out the drinks and placed them all on the bar. “Because you will be going home with us. I’d prefer it if you didn’t kiss anyone, however.”

Saskia’s eyes dropped to his lips before going back to his red eyes. “Not even you?” She winked and took most of the drinks on the tray.

“Vixen,” He cursed.

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**

It was early in the morning but they had decided to take a walk around the block and let some of the alcohol wear off before getting home.

The weather was slightly wet but it didn’t rain while they walked. It was nice, just walking and talking. The air was fresh and cooling on their heated skin. Saskia was already greatly regretting wearing her shoes, so when she took another step, only for her ankle to roll and make her tumble, she wanted to give up. They had to catch her by the arm to keep her upright.

“Fuck this.” She crouched down and unzipped her heels, reaching into her clutch bag. Dropping a pair of black flats, she stepped into them before picking up heels and holding them.

“You thought ahead,” 

“No, Hannibal did,” Saskia smiled and turned to him. “How did you know I’d be sick of my heels by the end of the night?”

“Christmas. You walked barefoot to the car and into the hotel,” Hannibal said, glancing at a man as he walked past them. His narrowed eyes warned the man’s leering gaze as Hannibal tucked Saskia “I doubt we need you complaining that you’ve stepped in glass or the like.”

“You complained enough about the cold already,” Will said because Saskia had already stolen the coat Hannibal had brought with them for this very reason.

Saskia flushed, sucking her teeth a little as she remembered. “Oh so true. Thank you.”

The night had ended so well, dancing, drinking, more dancing until she was able to get Beverly and Harumi there too. Every other drink, Hannibal had brought out a water glass for Saskia. She didn’t complain or even try to challenge Hannibal on his insistence of her drinking water between glasses of alcohol. She knew she needed to stay hydrated between glasses because she wouldn’t get a hangover in the morning then. 

He even stuck a bar of her favourite chocolate into her bag without her realising.

She loved that man.

Fuck.

She found comfort in him, in them. She liked having them around and liked their conversations, their silences, their quiet presences and loud absences.

She _loved_ them.

Oh, for fuck’s sake. 

**)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(**


End file.
